Genus Cymbalophus Hooker, 1984

Cymbalophus Hooker, 1984: 230 .

TYPE SPECIES. — Hyracotherium cuniculus (Owen, 1842) by original designation.

INCLUDED SPECIES. — Cymbalophus hookeri .

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS (based on Hooker 1994). — Moderate lophodonty. Hypoconulid of m1-2 small and closely appressed to the hypolophid. Hypoconulid of m3 linked to the hypoconid. Medium sized upper molar paraconule, metaconule smaller. Centrocrista of upper molar straight.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. — Smaller than Pliolophus and Hyracotherium . Hypoconulid of m1-2 small and closely appressed to the hypolophid, whereas it is linked to the hypoconid in Pliolophus . More developed lophodonty than Pliolophus and Hallensia . Differs from Hyracotherium by the absence of mesostyle.

NOTES

The genus Cymbalophus was created byHooker (1984) for the species C. cuniculus, previously classified within Hyracotherium (Owen 1842) . Hooker (1984) considered Cymbalophus as a ceratomorph, not a hippomorph. Hooker (1994) subsequently considered this species to be a hippomorph, but its phylogenetic position is still debated, probably because the type species is poorly known.