| Oxydactylus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skeleton of Oxydactylus campestris in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Camelidae |
| Tribe: | Camelini |
| Genus: | †Oxydactylus Peterson 1904 |
| Type species | |
| †Oxydactylus longipes | |
| Species | |
| |
Oxydactylus is an extinct genus of camelid endemic to North America. It lived from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene (28.4–13.7 mya), existing for approximately 14 million years.[1] The name is from the Ancient Greek οξύς (oxys, "sharp")and δάκτυλος (daktylos, "finger").
O. longipes restoration
They had very long legs and necks, and were probably adapted to eating high vegetation, much like modern giraffes. Unlike modern camelids, they had hooves, rather than tough sole-pads, and splayed toes.[2]
References
- ↑ Oxydactylus at fosilworks
- ↑ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 277. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
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