Paroxacron bergeri, Heissig, 1978

Blondel, Cecile, 2005, New data on the Cainotheriidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the early Oligocene of south-western France, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 144 (2), pp. 145-166 : 150

PAROXACRON CF. BERGERI HEISSIG, 1978

Referred material: Mas de Got: a left maxillary fragment with P1/-M3/ ( MGT 3210), a right maxillary fragment with P3/-M3/ ( MGT 3211). Pech Crabit: a right maxillary fragment with P3/-M2/ ( PCT 412). Roqueprune 2: a left maxillary fragment with P2/-M1/ ( ROQ 2 348). Mounayne: a left maxillary fragment with P3/-P4/ ( MOU 186).

Measurements: See Table 2.

Description: The upper premolars are elongate. The P1/, borne by the maxillary (Fig. 2E), is premolariform. The P2/ bears a small median cusp but no lingual cusp; the latter is replaced by a cingulum. The well developed anterior lobe of P3/ possesses salient styles on the ectoloph and a weakly developed distolingual cusp.

Comparison: Some specimens from Mas de Got ( MP 22), Pech Crabit, Roqueprune 2 and Mounayne ( MP 23) are of a size comparable to those referred to P. huerzeleri ( Berger, 1959) . They differ from this species, however, in P2/, which has a small median cusp and a lingual cingulum and in P3/, which has a more developed anterior lobe and a weaker distolingual cusp than those of P. huerzeleri . All these features are similar to those of species belonging to Paroxacron . Heissig (1978) attributed to Paroxacron (under the name P. bergeri ) a fragment of a mandible from Quercy and a specimen from Bernloch, Switzerland ( MP 23). This poorly known specimen, which was originally attributed to Cainotherium by Berger (1959), is represented by a few isolated teeth. Among these, some examples of P3/ are similar to those described in this study. According to Heissig (1978), the P/2-P/3 diastema, typical of Paroxacron , is absent in P. bergeri . It was not possible, however, to distinguish elements of the lower dentition in the material from the Quercy localities. Thus it is with some reservations that this material is attributed to P. bergeri .