Hemiacodon engardae, a new species of omomyid primate from the earliest Uintan Turtle Bluff Member of the Bridger Formation, southwestern Wyoming, USA

摘要

In this paper, we describe a new species of Hemiacodon known only from University of Colorado Museum Loc. 92189 (Donna's Locality) in the Turtle Bluff Member of the Bridger Formation, Green River Basin, southwestern Wyoming. Donna's locality has yielded a diverse mostly small-bodied mammalian assemblage of Bridgerian and first appearance Uintan mammalian taxa, as well as range-through taxa. Together with H. engardae sp. nov., the faunal assemblage from Donna's Locality and more recently discovered localities in the same stratigraphic interval provides the first conclusive paleontological evidence of an earliest Uintan age (Ui1A biochron) for the Turtle Bluff Member of the Bridger Formation. The new species is represented by a sample of 11 specimens consisting of well-preserved upper and lower premolars; and lower molars. H. engardae is distinct from H. gracilis on the basis of overall larger size as well as a combination of features of the premolars; and molars related to a greater development of shearing crests. This suggests that H. engardae may have incorporated more foliage into its diet than the Bridgerian species, H. gracilis.