An extinct family of small hoofed mammals that lived in North America during the Eocene and Oligocene epochs, related to modern peccaries and deer.
From Greek 'agrios' (wild) and 'choerus' (pig), combined with the Latin family suffix '-idae'. The name reflects early paleontologists' observations that these animals resembled wild pigs.
These tiny prehistoric creatures were among the earliest truly hoofed mammals in the Americas, and studying their fossils helps scientists understand how modern pigs, deer, and other hoofed animals evolved from common ancestors over millions of years.
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