Ephelcomenus

Ephelcomenus
Temporal range: Palaeogene
(stratigraphic range uncertain)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Anoplotheriidae
Subfamily: Anoplotheriinae
Genus: Ephelcomenus
Hürzeler, 1938
Species:
E. filholi
Binomial name
Ephelcomenus filholi
(Lydekker, 1889)
Synonyms
  • Hyracodontherium filholi Lydekker, 1889

Ephelcomenus is an extinct genus of Palaeogene artiodactyls endemic to Western Europe. It contains one species E. filholi, which was first described by Richard Lydekker in 1889 but eventually classified to its own genus by the Swiss palaeontologist Johannes Hürzeler in 1938. It has an uncertain stratigraphic range, but some sources suggest that it was present in the Oligocene after the Grande Coupure turnover event of western Europe.

Ephelconemus has several unusual traits compared to other anoplotheriids, such as an elongated and tusk-shaped first upper incisor and a hollowed first phalanx. The latter trait, along with the typical flexible limb morphologies of anoplotheriids, led Hürzeler to hypothesize that it was specialized for fossorial behaviors, meaning that it may have burrowed and eaten grounded plant material. The hypothesis has not been tested, but other anoplotheriines such as Anoplotherium and Diplobune are also suggested to have unusual adaptations as well. It was larger in size compared to other anoplotheriines except for Anoplotherium and most species of Diplobune and likely inhabited forested environments.