noun
- Plural of oreodont; extinct ruminant-like mammals from the Oligocene and Miocene epochs, native to North America, resembling small deer or sheep.
Usage: paleontology; scientific
Examples
- Oreodonts were common herbivores in North American grasslands millions of years ago.
- Fossil remains of oreodonts have been discovered throughout the Great Plains.
- Paleontologists study oreodonts to understand the evolution of hoofed mammals.
- The teeth of oreodonts show adaptations for grazing on tough vegetation.
- Oreodonts went extinct at the end of the Miocene epoch.