UINTATHERIUM.
Leidy, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc., 1872, p. 169.—Cont. to Ext. Vert. Faun. of Western Territories, p. 93.—Cope, Hayden's Survey, 1872, p. 580, etc.
Skull broader proportionally than in the other genera of the order, ridged and possessing several concavities on the upper surface; zygomas slender and but little curved; temporal fossæ comparatively short and have well-defined superciliary margins. The cervical vertebræ are rather long; the sacrum has four vertebræ; and the tail is quite long, very flat and broad. The tibia has its proximal face divided by a prominent ridge into two parts. The dental formula for the upper jaw is: I. 0, C. 1, M. 6. The molars are small, and increase from first to sixth. The last is much the largest; in it the anterior lobe considerably exceeds the posterior in size, and there may or may not be a tubercle at the entrance of the valley between the lobes; but there is always one developed from the cingulum at the posterior part of the tooth.
Uintatherium leidianum, sp. nov.[1]
[1] This species is respectfully dedicated to Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia. The specimens upon which it is established were found on Dry Creek plateau.
Established upon a head and nearly perfect skeleton of one individual, and parts of two more.
In this species, as in most others of the sub-order, the nasals are of immense length and thickness; they overhang the anterior nares, and project considerably beyond the premaxillaries; they form more than half of the entire length of the skull, articulating with the frontals somewhat behind the orbits; the median suture is distinct throughout. Instead of having an expanding shovel-shaped forward projection, as in Loxolophodon, they narrow from the median osseous projections (horn cores?) anteriorly. Above the muzzle they are strongly curved from side to side, on their upper surface forming a continuous arch; on the under surface of each bone is a deep concavity, separated from its fellow by the sutural ridge, which disappears forwards, near the extremity. On the upper surface of each nasal, near the forward end, is a large osseous tuberosity which is directed forwards and outwards; these processes are much smaller than the corresponding ones in the Loxolophodon, while they are larger, of different shape and direction from those in Dinoceras. In this species they are divided throughout by a deep median groove, which anteriorly becomes a fissure, and separates the extremities of the nasals completely. In front of these tuberosities, the nasals taper very rapidly, and end in sharp points which project downwards and forwards; this portion of the bones is shorter, sharper, and projects more decidedly downwards than in Dinoceras. Above and slightly behind the sockets of the cranium, the nasals and maxillaries give rise to the median pair of osseous projections. These are very large, subtrihedral at the base, and project upwards, outwards, and strongly forwards. They differ from the corresponding processes in Dinoceras, in their forward projection, in being longer and more everted, and in their approach to each other at the base. They taper quite regularly from base to tip, but do not come to a point; a section here would be subcircular. They are not so long and are not knobbed at the ends as in Loxolophodon. Their inner curve is convex, the outer concave; converging below at an angle of 90°, they are united by a strong ridge, which is raised decidedly above the surface of the nasals. At their posterior insertion they touch the frontals, lachrymals, and malars. It is probable that the nasals send up processes on the internal and posterior side of these median projections; the sutures between these and the maxillary portions are marked by slight ridges.
Frontals.—In our specimen it is very difficult to determine the exact relations of these bones. The nasals narrow at their posterior end, and articulate with the frontals by a V-shaped suture which thus encloses them on each side. It is probable that the frontals run to some point between the posterior or parietal projections. If we have discovered the suture, they overlap the parietals, sending up V-shaped processes, which join the sides of the posterior cranial projections, and form a deep concavity with them. They constitute a large part of the interior wall of the orbit, but have no postorbital processes; the superciliary ridge is very strong, and gradually rises into a large rounded crest, which joins the posterior projection. The frontal eminences are large, and situated immediately over the lachrymals. The upper surface of the frontals is marked by two high ridges, which probably represent the divided parts of the sagittal crest; they rise from the anterior margin of the bones, and are strongest above the frontal eminences. They converge, and then diverging, together forming an X-like curve (without crossing, however), gradually disappear posteriorly. These various ridges form four deep concavities on the upper surface of the skull: (1) The largest already mentioned, between the parietals and the posterior part of the frontals; (2) that marked by the suture between the nasals and frontal, not so large; (3 and 4) two much smaller lateral ridges between the sagittal and superciliary ridges. This great irregularity of the upper surface of the head is, so far as is yet known, peculiar to Uintatherium.
Parietals.—The peculiar feature of these bones is the huge pair of projections (the so-called "posterior horn cores") to which they give rise. The outer margin of these processes is nearly straight; the inner margin for its upper two thirds is also straight, the lower third curving in a high strong ridge to meet its fellow. The anterior face is rounded and produced into the long crest of the frontals, while the posterior face is flattened and produced into a similar but shorter and higher crest which joins the supra-occipital. At the base of these processes their greatest diameter is fore-and-aft, while at the top it is transverse. They project upwards and outwards, but are not curved as in Dinoceras, nor are their upper borders so much arched. Their greatest diameter at top is at right angles to the corresponding measurement in this last-named genus. Behind the ridge which connects these projections, the parietals curve sharply upward to a high occipital crest; between which and the projections they form a deep basin whose floor is raised above that formed by the frontals immediately anterior to it. This arrangement differs from that of both Loxolophodon and Dinoceras, especially from the latter. The temporal fossæ are of great length, deeply concave, but rather low from above downwards, formed almost entirely by the parietals, and bounded posteriorly by a sharp outward curve of these bones. They are of about the same proportionate length, but higher and very much deeper than in Loxolophodon; and are not nearly so long as in Dinoceras, in which genus the parietals expand far behind the horn-like processes. In our specimen the posterior part of the fossa is pierced by numerous small venous foramina, and corresponds precisely in every way, save that of size, to the specimen figured by Dr. Leidy. (Cont. to Extinct Vert. Fauna, Plate XXVI., Fig. 1.)
The Squamosals are large and heavy but encroach little upon the temporal fossæ; they are situated directly below the large parietal projections. The glenoid cavity is transverse and straight in this direction, broad and shallow, with no internal process; and the post-glenoid process is long and massive. The zygomatic process is short, stout, high, and trihedral, with a strongly arched upper margin. The articulation with the malar is by a straight, flat face, and anchylosis of the two never takes place. The anterior termination is pointed, and the outer margin is rounded.