| Like Prodesmatochoerus, Leptauchenia is an oreodont. The first leptaucheniids appear in the fossil record around 37 million years ago. They were small animals, only the size of a household cat. Originally it was thought that the leptaucheniids may have been aquatic – the eyes and nostrils are set high on the skull, much like a hippopotamus. However, their short-legged bodies are more typical of rock-climbing animals, like modern hyraxes, and studies of the anatomy of their middle ears also suggest adaptations to open habitats. Some leptaucheniids have small, bony bosses on their snouts, which may have supported horns, adding to their odd appearance. These bosses occur in some, but not all specimens, suggesting that perhaps only one sex had horns. There is also a deep pit, called a facial vacuity, on either side of the snout. In some living mammals, for example deer, these pits house glands that are used for scent marking; their presence in leptaucheniids may be evidence for this form of social interaction. |
