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(Redirected from Chamitataxus avitus)

'''Chamitataxus''' was a prehistoric badger genus belonging to the group Fissipedia. ''Chamitataxus avitus'' is the only known species of the genus. ''Chamitataxus'' lived during the Late Miocene, around 6 million years ago in what is now North America. Out of the three taxidiine badgers to have existed on the continent, ''Chamitataxus'' is the most primitive. Very few taxidiine badger remains have been uncovered to date, with only prehistoric ''Taxidea'' and ''Pliotaxidea'' specimens being discovered prior to the ''Chamitataxus'' holotype being found.

Contents

Description

References

Description

''Chamitataxus'' is known only from a single holotype found in 1935, which is comprised of a nearly complete skull. The holotype was discovered in a quarry not far from Lyden, New Mexico, where the prehistoric herbivore ''Osbornoceros'' was also discovered. ''Chamitataxus'' was indeed named after the rock formation it was discovered in, the Chamita Formation. Due to the relative lack of ''Chamitataxus'' specimens, much of the research into the genus is based upon research into better represented taxa related to ''Chamitataxus'', such as ''Taxidea'', the modern badger which existed too in the Late Miocene.
''Chamitataxus'' was fairly similar to its modern day relatives in most respects; it was a carnivore and judging from the skull found, it looked fairly similar. However, because so little of ''Chamitataxus'' has been found, estimating its size and other features is impossible; much is unknown about the genus. ''Chamitataxus'' had a very good sense of smell and had a firm grip like its modern equivalent and this enabled ''Chamitataxus'' to kill burrowing animals with a bite to the neck. Like other mammals, ''Chamitataxus'' excelled at hearing low-frequency noises, which it could hear at a long distance. Overall, ''Chamitataxus'' was an expert hunter based on scientist’s findings, and was able to prey on many different types of land-dwelling creatures during the Miocene.

References

★ Owen, P.R. (2006). Description of a new Late Miocene American Badger (Taxidiinae) utilizing high-resolution x-ray computed tomography. ''Paleontology'' '49'(5): 999–1011.