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New material of the marsupial (Mammalia, Metatheria) Herpetotherium merriami (Stock and Furlong, 1922) from the John Day Formation, late Oligocene, Oregon, USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2016

William W. Korth  and
Jennifer Cavin
William W. Korth
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology, 265 Carling Road, Rochester, New York, USA14610 〈wwkorth@frontiernet.net〉
Jennifer Cavin
Affiliation:
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, 32651 Highway 19, Kimberly, Oregon, USA97848 〈Jennifer_cavin@nps.gov〉
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Abstract

Recently discovered specimens of the marsupial Herpetotherium merriami (Stock and Furlong, 1922) from the John Day Formation, Oregon, are described. The species was previously known only from a single (type) specimen. These additional specimens have allowed for a revised diagnosis of the species based on the presence of an additional stylar cusp on the upper molars, as well as the relative size of the stylar cusps. This new material also allows for an examination of the variability within the species and establishes a time range for the species, which extends through most of the Arikareean (late Oligocene: Ar1–Ar3: late Rupelian-Aquitanian). Herpetotherium merriami is distinct within the genus because it is among the larger of the species, but one of the latest occurring, whereas the general pattern of the genus is a reduction in size through time.

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Articles
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 90 , Issue 6 , November 2016 , pp. 1225 - 1232
Copyright
Copyright © 2016, The Paleontological Society 

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