A history of land mammals in the western hemisphere

by William Berryman Scott

†Periptychus, Paleoc.

II. †Pantolambdidæ.

† Pantolambda, Paleoc.

Suborder †Pantodonta

III. †Coryphodontidæ.

†Coryphodon, Wasatch and Wind River.

Suborder †Dinocerata

IV. †Uintatheriidæ.

Bathyopsis, Wind River. †Elachoceras, Bridger. †Uintatherium, do. †Eobasileus, do.

As is shown in the table, the suborder †Taligrada is entirely Paleocene in distribution, the †Pantodonta are lower Eocene and the †Dinocerata chiefly middle Eocene, though persisting into the upper. The †Dinocerata were the most striking and characteristic of Bridger mammals, and two or three phyla of them may be distinguished, though for our purposes this is hardly necessary, for these strange and bizarre creatures were all very much alike. From the commonest and best-known genus (†Uintatherium) they are called †uintatheres. They were large and ponderous animals, the veritable giants of their time, far exceeding any of their contemporaries. In appearance they were among the most fantastic of the many curious beasts which the fossils have revealed.