Addition To Oreodont Foot/hoof Question?

[jpevahouse]

These hooves in my collection are from the White River Formation, SD Badlands area. The smallest is 1/2 inch, the largest 3/4 inches in length. My original question was wether the oreodont had a hoof or claw. Not sure if I'm clear on the issue and maybe these pictures will show what I mean by a hoof, wondering if these examples apply to an oreodont. The smallest I suspect may be Leptomeryx, the larger hoof unsure, maybe poebrotherium or oredont?

From what I've read about the oreodont it was a burrowing animal digging borrows large enough to protect themselves and offspring. Seems the animal would have had a foot suited to digging?

Edited August 14, 2014 by jpevahouse

[snolly50]

Here is a paper by Dr Kent Sundell. He writes of "claws," but also mentions "hoofs?"

97 Oreodont Paper

Edited August 14, 2014 by snolly50

[jpevahouse]

Here is a paper by Dr Kent Sundell. He writes of "claws," but also mentions "hoofs?"

97 Oreodont Paper

Thanks. I read that article last week. A well written, interesting article which got to me thinking about the hoof vs claw issue. Even the hooves in my collection have a blunt claw like look, yet they could just as well be considered hooves. When I think of hoof I tend to think of deer, bison, horse, etc which have a prominent clearly defined hoof.

Edited August 14, 2014 by jpevahouse

[fossillarry]

The upper right specimen is a turtle terminal claw, the others are all oreodont terminal hoofs.

[painshill]

Thanks. I read that article last week. A well written, interesting article which got to me thinking about the hoof vs claw issue. Even the hooves in my collection have a blunt claw like look, yet they could just as well be considered hooves. When I think of hoof I tend to think of deer, bison, horse, etc which have a prominent clearly defined hoof.

Although I'm no help in identification, I thought I was being clear in my earlier reply.... hoof and claw are essentially the same appendage but we make a distinction (for artiodactyls) that when a claw is "weight-bearing" during locomotion we call it a hoof. It's a semi-arbitrary distinction that makes no allowance for the possibilities of transitional morphology, but the arrangement for the larger and more recent oreodonts demonstrates that they were weight bearing and therefore we use the term "hoof" (apart from for the non-weight bearing dewclaws on the forelimbs). So, in a sense, most oreodonts had both hooves and claws on the forelimbs and only hooves on the hindlimbs. Yes, the evidence suggests that many oreodonts created burrows and "nested" underground. That means we should expect to find hooves which are adapted for digging, but if they're weight-bearing we still use the term "hoof".

The evidence suggests that smaller and more primitive oreodonts (Agriochoerids) were largely burrowing animals with terminal claws much more suited to digging, as well as being non weight-bearing (like a dog or cat). So, "claws" rather than "hooves".

Edited August 25, 2014 by painshill

[jpevahouse]

Thanks Painshill. I also found a good photo on the internet showing the oreodont lower foot. I agree, claw seems to work better than hoof.