John Orcutt · @GonzagaMEATLab
284 followers · 75 posts · Server ecoevo.social
The #Oligocene was a time of changing #climate, expanding #grasslands, and giant #mammals. This #FossilFriday, though, let's meet a smaller but much more abundant #mammal that also occupied those early #prairies. #Hypertragulids (like this one the #CUBoulder #Museum of #NaturalHistory) looked a bit like #deer despite being only distant relatives but were the size of #rabbits. #Fossils of this species have been found from the #GreatPlains to #Oregon's #JohnDayFossilBeds to Southern #California.
#oligocene #Climate #grasslands #mammals #fossilfriday #mammal #prairies #hypertragulids #cuboulder #museum #naturalhistory #deer #rabbits #fossils #GreatPlains #oregon #johndayfossilbeds #california