Phenacocoelus is an extinct genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of oreodont

Oreodont

Oreodons, sometimes called prehistoric "ruminating hogs," were a family of cud-chewing plant-eater with a short face and tusk-like canine teeth...

 of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Merycoidodontidae, subfamily Merycoidodontinae, endemic to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene

Early Miocene

The Early Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages....

 subepochs (24.8—20.6 mya), existing for approximately .

Taxonomy

Phenacocoelus was named by Peterson (1907). Its type is Phenacocoelus typus. It was assigned to Merycoidodontidae by Peterson (1907) and Lander (1998).

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza for body mass and was estimated to have a weight of 73.0 kg (160.9 lbs).