Azygonyx
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Azygonyx was a small tillodont mammal, likely the size of a cat to raccoon, that lived in North America during the Paleocene and Eocene in the early part of the Cenozoic Era. The only fossils that have been recovered are from the Willwood and Fort Union Formations in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, United States, and date to the Clarkforkian to Wasatchian, about 56 to 50 million years ago.[1] Fifty-six collections that have been recovered thus far include the remains of Azygonyx. Azygonyx survived the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum along with other mammals like Phenacodus and Ectocion, both of which were ground-dwelling mammals.[2] Azygonyx probably was a generalist terrestrial mammal that may have roamed around the ground, but was also capable of climbing trees.[1]
Azygonyx | |
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Family: | †Esthonychidae |
Genus: | †Azygonyx Gingerich 1989 |
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Azygonyx gunnelli (Gingerich & Gunnell 1979) | |
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