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Extinct genus of mammals From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Metridiochoerus is an extinct genus of swine known from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Africa. It is also known as the giant warthog.
| Metridiochoerus Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
| |
| Jaw of M. hopwoodi at National Museum of Natural History | |
 | |
| M. andrewsi (centre) compared to a living Desert warthog (left) and Notochoerus eulius (right) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Subfamily: | Suinae |
| Genus: | †Metridiochoerus Hopwood, 1926 |
| Type species | |
| †Metridiochoerus andrewsi Hopwood, 1926 | |
| Species | |
| |
The oldest specimen dates to around 3.4 million years ago from the Usno Formation in Ethiopia.[1] It probably evolved from a recent immigrant from Eurasia, which has been suggested to be the European "Postpotamochoerus" provincialis.[2] The youngest remains of the genus date to the Late Pleistocene in southern Africa (Zimababwe, and possibly South Africa).[3]
Metridiochoerus was a large animal, 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length, resembling a giant warthog. It had two large pairs of tusks which were pointed sideways and curved upwards.[4] The teeth, especially the third molars, become increasingly high crowned (hypsodont) in later species.[1]
The various species are usually thought to have been grazers,[3] though this has been questioned for the earliest low crowned species.[1]
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