Xiphodontidae

Xiphodontidae is an extinct family of even-toed ungulates (order Artiodactyla), endemic to Europe during the Eocene 40.4—33.9 million years ago, existing for about 7.5 million years.[1] They were, most likely, all terrestrial herbivores. Paraxiphodon suggests that they survived into the Lower Oligocene, at least.[2]

Xiphodontidae
Temporal range: 40.4–28.1 Ma
Restoration of Xiphodon gracilis from 1863
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Tylopoda
Family: †Xiphodontidae
Genera

†Dichodon
†Haplomeryx
†Paraxiphodon
†Xiphodon

Taxonomy

The Xiphodontidae were named by Flower (1883). It was assigned to Artiodactyla by Cope (1889); to Xiphodontoidea by Hooker (1986); and to Tylopoda by Carroll (1988).[3][4]

References
  1. PaleoBiology Database: Xiphodontidae, basic info
  2. Prothero, D.R.; Foss, S.E. (2007). The Evolution of Artiodactyls. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 9780801887352. Retrieved 2014-10-08.
  3. J. J. Hooker. 1986. Mammals from the Bartonian (middle/late Eocene) of the Hampshire Basin, southern England. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 39(4):191-478
  4. R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York 1-698
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