A Conohyus – Lineage (Suidae, Artiodactyla) From the Miocene of Europe

Abstract

The genus Conohyus belongs to the Tetraconodontinae: pigs with enlarged third and fourth premolars. There are two lineages in the Aragonian and the Vallesian of Europe: the C. simorrensis - C. ebroensis lineage and the C. steinheimensis lineage. The first lineage is the subject of this paper. It is characterized by a size increase in the moiars and by premoiars that do not increase in size or even decrease. Toree fotms can be distinguished: C. simorrensis goeriachensis nov. subsp. for MN 5, C. simorrensis simorrensis (Lartet, 1851) for MN 6 and MN 7 and C. ebroensis Azanza, 1986 for MN 8 and MN 9. The gradual loss of the tetraconodontine specialisation of enlarged premolars occurs not only in this line, but also in most other genera of the Tetraconodontinae. C. simorrensis goeriachensis nov. subsp. is one of the most primitive tetraconodontines in this respect and it is also one of the oldest.