NAME
|
ROOT
|
NOTES
|
Aceratherium |
Greek: without (a) horn (keratos) beast (therion) |
|
Aepycamelus |
Greek: high and steep (aipys) camel (kamelos) |
from its long neck |
Aktautitan |
Atktau [site where first fossil was found] plus Greek: giant (titan) |
|
americanum |
Latin: from America |
|
Amynodon |
Greek: to ward off/threaten (amynos) teeth (odontos) |
reference to large tusks |
Amynodontidae |
Latin: Amynodont family |
|
andrewsi |
named after paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews (1884-1960) |
|
Anisodon |
Greek: unequal (anisos) teeth (odontes) |
|
antiquitatis |
Latin: old (antiquus) |
|
Aphelops |
Greek: smooth (apheles) face (ops) |
because of its lack of a horn |
Archaeohippus |
Greek: ancient (archaios) horse (hippos) |
|
arikarense |
from the Arikaree River |
|
augustus |
Latin: majestic (augustus) |
|
Australopithecus |
Latin: southern (australis) and Greek: ape (pithekos) |
|
bairdii |
after American naturalist Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887) |
|
Baluchitherium |
Baluch [reference to Baluchistan, where first fossil of this animal was found] plus Greek: beast (therion) |
|
Barylambda |
Greek: heavy (baros) lambda (lambda) |
reference to size of animal copared with Pantolambda |
bicornis |
Latin: two (bi) horn (cornus) |
|
Bison |
Greek: wild ox (bison) |
|
Bootherium |
Greek: ox (boos) beast (therion) |
|
Bothriodon |
Greek: botros (pit) odontes (teeth) |
|
Brontops |
Greek: thunder (brontos) face (ops) |
|
Brontotheriidae |
Latin: Brontothere family |
|
Brontotherium |
Greek: thunder (brontos) beast (therion) |
|
caballus |
Latin: horse (caballus) |
equus is classical latin for horse; caballus is vulgar latin |
Camelops |
Greek: camel (kamelos) face (ops) |
|
Canis |
Latin: dog (canis) |
|
Castoroides |
Latin: beaver (castor) like (oides) |
|
Cadurcodon |
|
Ceratomorpha |
Greek: horn (keratos) form (morphos) |
|
Ceratotherium |
Greek: horn (keratos) beast (therion) |
|
Chalicotheriidae |
Latin: Chalicothere family |
|
Chalicotherium |
Greek: pebble (khalik) beast (therion) |
reference to pebble-like teeth of first fossil discovered |
Coelodonta |
Greek: koilos (hollow) teeth (odontes) |
|
columbi |
Latin: of or relating to the United States [from Columbian] |
|
Coryphodon |
Greek: pointed (kentron) teeth (odontes) |
|
crassicornis |
Latin: heavy (crasseus) horn (corneus) |
|
curtum |
Latin: shortened (curtum) |
|
Dicerorhinus |
Greek: two (dio) horn (keratos) nose (rhinos) |
|
Diceros |
Greek: two (dio) horn (keratos) |
|
Dinohippus |
Greek: terrible (deinos) horse (hippos) |
|
Dinohyus |
Greek: terrible (deinos) pig (hyainos) |
|
Diplacodon |
Greek: double (diplos) point (aki) teeth (odontes) |
|
dirus |
Latin: dire or terrible |
|
Dolichorhinus |
Greek: long (dolichos) nose (rhinos) |
reference to the elongated snout and head of this brontothere |
Ectoconus |
Greek: outside (ektos) cone (konos) |
reference to external cusp on upper molars |
elatus |
Latin: uplifted (elatus) |
|
Embolotherium |
Greek: battering ram (embolos) beast (therion) |
reference to the ram-like nasal bones |
Eohippus |
Greek: dawn (eos) horse (hippos) |
|
Eotitanops |
Greek: dawn (eos) giant (titan) face (ops) |
|
Equidae |
Latin: Horse family |
|
Equoidea |
Latin: Horse-like superfamily |
|
Equus |
Latin: horse (equus) |
|
Erithacus |
Greek: robin (erithacos) |
|
Gastornis |
Greek: Gaston's bird (ornis) |
named after its discoverer, French scientist Gaston Plante (1834-1889) |
Glyptodon |
Greek: carved (glyptos) teeth (odontes) |
|
grande |
Latin: great (grandis) |
|
grangeri |
named after paleontologist Walter Granger (1872-1941) |
|
Hippomorpha |
Greek: horse (hippos) form (morphos) |
|
hippopotamopus |
Greek: river horse (hippopotamus) foot (opus) |
|
Homo |
Latin: man |
|
Homogalax |
Greek: lit. same (homo) milk (galactos) = "foster brother" |
refers to relatedness to other fossils |
Hoplophoneus |
Greek: murder (phonos) weapon (hoplo) |
|
Hyaenodon |
Greek: hyena (hyainos) teeth (odontos) |
hyena comes from the Greek word for pig - hyainos |
Hypohippus |
Greek: under (hypos) horse (hippos) |
|
Hyrachyus |
Greek: hyrax (hyrak = 'shrewmouse') pig (hyainos) |
|
Hyracodon |
Greek: hyrax (hyrak = 'shrewmouse') teeth (odontos) |
|
Hyracodontidae |
Latin: Hyracodont family |
|
Hyracotherium |
Greek: hyrax (hyrak = 'shrewmouse') beast (therion) |
|
indicus |
Latin: from the Indies |
|
Indricotherium |
Russian: Indrik [mythical "father of all beasts"] plus Greek: beast (therion) |
|
insignis |
Latin: notable/distingished (insignis) |
|
johnsoni |
|
Schultz et al 1975 - check Osborn Library |
Loxolophus |
Greek: slanting (loxos) crest (lophos) |
reference to oblique crests of lower molars |
major |
Latin: greater (maior) |
|
Mammalia |
Latin: mammals |
|
Mammut |
Tartar: ground dweller (mammantu) |
based on Tartar belief that frozen remains of mammoths were remains of giant mole-like creatures |
Mammuthus |
Tartar: ground dweller (mammantu) |
based on Tartar belief that frozen remains of mammoths were remains of giant mole-like creatures |
Manteoceras |
Greek: prophetic (manteos) horn (keratos) |
one of the earliest brontotheres to develop horns - albeit small ones |
matthewi |
named after paleontologist William Diller Matthew (1871-1930) |
|
medicornutum |
Latin: middle (medio) horned (cornutum) |
|
Megacerops |
Greek: great (mega) horn (keratos) face (ops) |
|
Megahippus |
Greek: great (mega) horse (hippos) |
|
Megaloceras |
Greek: great (mega) horn (keratos) |
|
Megatapirus |
Greek: great (mega) plus Tupi (Brazilian indian): tapir (tapira) |
|
Megatherium |
Greek: great (mega) beast (therion) |
|
Menoceras |
Greek: crescent (meniskos) horns (keratos) |
|
Merychippus |
Greek: ruminant (merux)-like horse (hippos) |
|
Merycochoerus |
Greek: ruminant (merux)-like swine (khoiros) |
|
Mesohippus |
Greek: middle (meso) horse (hippos) |
|
Metamynodon |
Greek: after/beyond (meta) threatening (amynos) teeth (odontes) |
|
Metatitan |
Greek: after/beyond (meta) giant (titan) |
|
migratorius |
Latin: wandering (migrare) |
|
mongoliensis |
Latin: of/from Mongolia |
|
Moropus |
Greek: lit. dull (moros) foot (poys) = sloth foot |
was originally believed to be related to sloths |
nebraskensis |
Latin: of/from Nebraska |
|
Neohipparion |
Greek: new (neos) pony (hipparion) |
|
Orohippus |
Greek: mountain (oros) horse (hippos) |
|
Oxyaena |
Greek: sharp (oksys) hyena (hyainos) |
hyena comes from the Greek word for pig - hyainos |
Palaeoryctes |
Greek: old (palaeos) digger (oryctes) |
|
Palaeotheriidae |
Latin: Palaeothere family |
|
Palaeotherium |
Greek: old (paleos) beast (therion) |
|
Paleosyops |
Greek: old (paleos) boar (kapros) face (ops) |
|
Pantolambda |
Greek: all (pantos) lambda (lambda) |
a reference to the cusps of the upper premolars which are arranged in a pattern like the Greek letter lambda |
Parahippus |
Greek: near (para) horse (hippos) |
|
Paramylodon |
Greek: near (para) millstone (mulos) teeth (odontes) |
|
Paramys |
Greek: near (para) mouse (mys) |
|
parvulum |
Latin: small/tiny (parvulus = little child) |
|
Pelycodus |
Greek: bowl (pelys ) tooth (odus) |
|
Perissodactyla |
Greek: uneven (perissos) finger (dactylos) |
|
Phenacodus |
Greek: imposter (phenax) tooth (odus) |
|
Poebrotherium |
Greek: grass-eating beast (therion) |
|
primigenius |
Latin: first (primus) born (gignere = to give birth do/bring forth) |
|
primus |
Latin: first (primus) |
|
Promerycochoerus |
Latin: before (pro) plus Greek: ruminant (merux)-like swine (khoiros) |
|
Propalaeotherium |
Latin: before (pro): plus Greek: old (paleos) beast (therion) |
|
Protapirus |
Latin: before (pro): plus Brazilian Indian: tapir (tapira) |
|
Protitanotherium |
Latin: before (pro): plus Greek: giant (titan) beast (therion) |
|
Protorohippus |
Latin: before (pro): plus Greek: mountain (oros) horse (hippos) |
|
quagga |
Xhosa: something striped (i-qwaxa) |
|
Repenomamus |
Latin: reptile (reptilis) mammal (mammalis) |
|
Rhinocerotidae |
Latin: Rhinoceros family |
|
Rhinocerotoidea |
Latin: Rhinoceros-like superfamily |
|
Rhinoceros |
Greek: nose (rhinos) horn (keratos) |
|
robustus |
Latin: strong (robustus) |
|
Rodentia |
Latin: rodents |
|
rubecula |
Latin: red breast |
|
sapiens |
Latin: wise |
|
scotti |
named after paleontologist William Berryman Scott (1858-1947) |
|
Sharamynodon |
Shara [site where fossil was first found] plus Greek: to ward off/threaten (amynos) teeth (odontos) |
|
skinneri |
named after paleontologist Morris Skinner (1906-1989) |
|
Smilodon |
Greek: chisel (smile) teeth (odontos) |
|
sondaicus |
Latin: from the Sunda Islands [incl. Borneo and Java] |
|
Subhyracodon |
Latin: below (sub): plus Greek: hyrax (hyrak = 'shrewmouse') tooth (odontos) |
|
sumatrensis |
Latin: from Sumatra |
|
Tapiridae |
Latin: tapir family |
|
Tapiroidea |
Latin: tapir-like superfamily |
|
Tapirus |
Brazilian indian: tapir (tapira) |
|
Teleoceras |
Greek: perfect (teleos) horn (keratos) |
|
Teratornis |
Greek: wonder (teretos) bird (ornis) |
|
terrestris |
Latin: of the earth (terra) |
|
Thylacodon |
Greek: pouch (thylacos) teeth (odontos) |
|
Titanotherium |
Greek: giant (titan) beast (therion) |
|
Trigonias |
Greek: triangular (trigonos) ias [denotes possession] |
reference to triangular cutting surface of first incisors |
Tubulidentata |
Latin: tube (tubulis) tooth (dentis) |
|
Turdus |
Latin: thrush (turdus) |
|
Tylocephalonyx |
Greek: tylos (knob) head (kephalos) claw/hoof (onyx) |
|
unicornis |
Latin: one (unus) horn (cornus) |
|
Xenicohippus |
Greek: strange (xenikos) horse (hippos) |