Scontromeryx falcidens
Creators: name: Van Der Geer, Alexandra A. E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Hoplitomerycidae
Scontromeryx
Scontromeryx falcidens

description: Scontromeryx falcidens (Mazza et Rustioni, 2011)
Taxon A—Mazza & Rustioni 1999 (partim): p. 306 [SCT70, SCT103, 177].
Hoplitomeryx falcidens Mazza & Rustioni, 2011 — Mazza & Rustioni 2011 (partim): p. 1304, 1312, 1330, fig. 1, 2, 5, tables 1, 2 [SCT70, SCT82, SCT103, SCT177].
Holotype. Left hemimandible SCT177 (Figure 1, D, E, F, in Mazza & Rustioni 2011).
Paratypes. Maxillary SCT70, mandible fragments SCT103, SCT82.
Revised diagnosis. Small-sized, mesodont species. Lingual cusps tightly spaced in M2 and M3; metacone sometimes with small pillars on labial wall of upper molars; entostyle absent; mandible slender, with moderately sinuous horizontal ramus and convex ventral profile under cheek teeth corpus; paraconid absent or present only in unworn lower premolars; in p2 protoconid and metaconid of same height; p4 compressed mesiodistally, with enlarged and fairly complicated mesial trigonid and relatively small talonid; in lower molars labial cuspids triangular, widely spaced and somewhat backward-verging; metastylids and postentocristids well developed and protruding lingually in m1; postentocristid hardly developed in m3; ectostylid low and robust in m1, low and blunt in m3; hypoconulid and entoconulid with distal margins separated to halfway along the crown height; enamel smooth; weak cingulum at the base of the protoconid in m1.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from Scontromeryx minutus by having a mediodistally compressed lower p4 (L/W ratio 1.3 vs 1.5), lacking a paraconid in lower premolars, and having smooth enamel on labial side of cheek teeth.
Derivation of name. According to Mazza & Rustioni (2011), the species is characterized by sabre-like upper canines (falx, gen. falcis, Latin, sickle, scythe; dens, Latin, masculine, tooth). However, maxillary SCT177 lacks canines and the presence of a canine was based on material from the Gargano.
Preservation and deposition. Soprintendenza Archeologica dell’Abruzzo (Chieti, central Italy).
Type locality and horizon. Tortonian Scontrone Member of the Lithothamnium Limestone (Patacca et al. 2008; 41°45'15.54''N, 14°02' 13.14''E), outskirts of Scontrone, southern border of the National Park of Abruzzi, L’Aquila, central Italy.
Description. See Mazza & Rustioni (2011). Additional characters shown by paratypes revised after Mazza & Rustioni (2011). SCT70 (M2-3) is a maxillary fragment, SCT82 (m3) and SCT103 (p2–m1) are mandible fragments. m3. The two mesial cuspids are not preserved (shown by SCT82). Hypoconid markedly triangular and very inclined backwards. Entoconid fairly swollen at base of crown but postentocristid barely developed. Low, blunt ectostylid. Hypoconulid and entoconulid both tear-shaped and about the same size. Distal margins of these two conulids keep separated until about halfway the height of the crown. M2–3. Small enamel pillars at the base of the metacone. Styles and ribs very strong. Metaconule with well-develop spur. Lingual cusps in tight contact with one another. No entostyle. M3 with large metaconule.
Measurements. See Table 2.
description: Published as part of Van Der Geer, Alexandra A. E., 2014, Systematic revision of the family Hoplitomerycidae Leinders, 1984 (Artiodactyla: Cervoidea), with the description of a new genus and four new species, pp. 1-32 in Zootaxa 3847 (1) on pages 15-17, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3847.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/286815