Abstract
Meniscotherium is a relatively small condylarth that is considered unusual in having a specialized dentition consisting of molarized posterior premolars and selenodont-lophodont molars (Figure 1). It unites this specialized dentition with a very generalized skeleton (Williamson and Lucas, 1992). Two species of Meniscotherium are recognized, M. chamense and M. tapiacitum (Williamson, 1989; Williamson and Lucas, 1992). M. chamense from the San Jose Formation of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico probably was about 58 cm in length and ranged from between 4.88–9.76 kg in body weight. M. tapiacitum was approximately 70% the size of San Juan Basin M. chamense in linear dimensions (about 41cm in length) and probably weighed between 1.7 and 3.3 kg (Williamson and Lucas, 1992). The apparently erratic occurrence of Meniscotherium has long been noted (Van Houten, 1945) and the presence/absence of Meniscotherium in the San Jose Formation was believed to be controlled by the depositional environment as reflected in particular facies association (Granger, 1914; Simpson, 1948b; Gazin, 1952, Gazin, 1962, Gazin, 1965a, Gazin, 1965b). Meniscotherium is often found in large concentrations in the San Jose Formation, New Mexico and as a result, it is one of the best known early Paleogene condylarths.
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Williamson, T.E. (2001). Meniscotherium Mass-Death Assemblages. In: Gunnell, G.F. (eds) Eocene Biodiversity. Topics in Geobiology, vol 18. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1271-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1271-4_14
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