Heptodon
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Heptodon Temporal range: Early Eocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Superfamily: | Tapiroidea |
| Family: | Helaletidae |
| Genus: |
†Heptodon Cope, 1882 |
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Heptodon is an extinct genus of tapir-type herbivore of the family Helaletidae endemic to North America during the Eocene epoch. It lived from 55.4—48.6 mya, existing for approximately 6.8 million years.
Heptodon was named by Cope (1882). It was considered paraphyletic by Colbert (2005). It was assigned to Helaletinae by Radinsky (1966); to Ceratomorpha by Cope (1882) and Colbert and Schoch (1998); to Heptodontidae by Holbrook (1999); and to Tapiroidea by Colbert (2005). M. W. Colbert. 2005.
Heptodon was about 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length, and closely resembled modern tapirs. The shape of the skull suggests that it probably lacked the characteristic tapir trunk. Instead it probably had a slightly elongated, fleshy upper lip, like its relative Helatetes.
A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist for body mass. It was estimated to have a weight of 15.5 kg (34 lb).
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