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Giraffoidea
Giraffoidea is a superfamily that includes the families Climacoceratidae, Antilocapridae, and Giraffidae. The only extant members in the superfamily are the pronghorn, giraffe, and okapi. The Climacoceratidae are also placed in the superfamily, but were originally placed within the family Palaeomerycidae. Classification * Superfamily Giraffoidea ** Family † Climacoceratidae *** †''Climacoceras'' *** †'' Orangemeryx'' *** †''Prolibytherium'' *** †'' Propalaeoryx'' *** †'' Nyanzameryx'' *** †'' Sperrgebietomeryx'' ** Family Antilocapridae *** ''Antilocapra'' *** †''Capromeryx'' *** †'' Ceratomeryx'' *** †''Cosoryx'' *** †''Hayoceros'' *** †''Hexameryx'' *** †'' Hexobelomeryx'' *** †''Ilingoceros'' *** †'' Meryceros'' *** †''Merycodus'' *** †''Osbornoceros'' *** †'' Ottoceros'' *** †''Paracosoryx'' *** †'' Plioceros'' *** †'' Proantilocapra'' *** †''Ramoceros'' *** †'' Sphenophalos'' *** †'' Stockoceros'' *** †'' Submeryceros'' *** ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Climacoceratidae
Climacoceratidae is a family of superficially deer-like artiodactyl ungulates which lived in the Miocene epoch in Africa. They are close to the ancestry of Giraffidae, giraffes, with some genera, such as ''Prolibytherium'', originally classified as giraffes. The climacoceratids, namely members of what is now the type genus ''Climacoceras'', were originally placed within the family Palaeomerycidae, and then within Giraffidae. In 1978, W. R. Hamilton erected a new family, placing it close to Giraffidae within the superfamily Giraffoidea. They differ from giraffes in that their antler-like ossicones are derived from different bones. References * MacInnes, D. G. 1936, "A new genus of fossil deer from the Miocene of Africa", Journal of the Linnean Society, Zoology 39: 521–530. * Hamilton, W. R., 1978, "Cervidae and Palaeomerycidae", 495–508, in Maglio, V. J. & Cooke, H. B. S., (eds.) "Evolution of African mammals", Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts & London, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giraffidae
The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (one or more species of ''Giraffa'', depending on taxonomic interpretation) and the okapi (the only known species of ''Okapia''). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones. Taxonomy Evolutionary background The giraffids are ruminants of the clade Pecora. Other extant pecorans are the families Antilocapridae (pronghorns), Cervidae (deer), Moschidae (musk deer), and Bovidae (cattle, goats and sheep, wildebeests and allies, and antelopes). The exact interrelationships a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pronghorn
The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American antelope, prong buck, pronghorn antelope and prairie antelope, because it closely resembles the antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to parallel evolution. It is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae. During the Pleistocene epoch, about 11 other antilocaprid species existed in North America.Smithsonian Institution. North American MammalsPronghorn ''Antilocapra americana''/ref> Three other genera (''Capromeryx'', '' Stockoceros'' and ''Tetrameryx'') existed when humans entered North America but are now extinct. As a member of the superfamily Giraffoidea, the pronghorn's closest living relatives are the giraffe and okapi. See Fig. S10 in Supplementary Information. The Giraffoidea are in tu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prolibytherium
''Prolibytherium'' is an extinct genus of prolibytheriid artiodactyl ungulate native to Middle Miocene North Africa and Pakistan, from around 16.9 to 15.97 million years ago. Fossils of ''Prolibytherium'' were found in the Marada Formation of Libya, Vihowa Formation of Pakistan, and the Moghara Formation of Egypt. Description The long creature would have superficially resembled an okapi or a deer. Unlike these, however, ''Prolibytherium'' displayed dramatic sexual dimorphism, in that the male had a set of large, leaf-shaped ossicones with a width of , while the female had a set of slender, horn-like ossicones. The taxonomic status of ''Prolibytherium'' remains in flux. At one time, it was described as a relative of ''Sivatherium'' (as a precursor to "Libytherium maurusium" (''S. maurusium'')). Later, it would be regarded as a palaeomerycid, or either as a climacoceratid, or as a basal member of Giraffoidea Giraffoidea is a superfamily that includes the families Clima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antilocapridae
The Antilocapridae are a family of artiodactyls endemic to North America. Their closest extant relatives are the giraffids with which they comprise the superfamily Giraffoidea. Only one species, the pronghorn (''Antilocapra americana''), is living today; all other members of the family are extinct. The living pronghorn is a small ruminant mammal resembling an antelope. Description In most respects, antilocaprids resemble other ruminants. They have a complex, four-chambered stomach for digesting tough plant matter, cloven hooves, and small, forked horns. Their horns resemble those of the bovids, in that they have a true horny sheath, but, uniquely, they are shed outside the breeding season, and subsequently regrown. Their lateral toes are even further diminished than in bovids, with the digits themselves being entirely lost, and only the cannon bones remaining. Antilocaprids have the same dental formula as most other ruminants: . Classification The antilocaprids are ruminants o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Climacoceras
''Climacoceras'' (from Greek for "ladder horns") is a genus of extinct artiodactyl ungulates that lived in Africa and Europe during the Miocene. The members of ''Climacoceras'' were related to giraffes, and the genus was formerly placed within the Giraffidae, but is now placed in the Climacoceratidae, a sister group within the superfamily Giraffoidea. Fossils of the two best known species of ''Climacoceras'', ''C. africanus'' and ''C. gentryi'', have both been found in Kenya. The animals measured about tall and had large ossicones resembling antlers. ''C. africanus'' had ossicones resembling tall, thorn-covered plant stems, while the ossicones of ''C. gentryi'' resembled thorny crescents. The genus was once placed within Palaeomerycidae, then Giraffidae. It is now considered a giraffoid in the family Climacoceratidae, erected by Hamilton. Other Climacoceratidae genera include ''Prolibytherium'' from Egypt and Libya and '' Orangemeryx'' from Namibia and South Africa South ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ilingoceros
''Ilingoceros'' is an extinct genus of pronghorn artiodactyl from the Late Miocene of North America. At in body length, the animal would have been slightly bigger than the related modern pronghorn. It had straight, spiraled horns, which ended in fork In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from la, furca 'pitchfork') is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods ei ...ed tips. References Prehistoric pronghorns Miocene even-toed ungulates Miocene mammals of North America Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera Fossil taxa described in 1909 {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merycodus
''Merycodus'' is an extinct genus of the artiodactyl family Antilocapridae. Fossils of this genus have been found in the Santa Fe Group of New Mexico. Taxonomy ''Merycodus'' has had a confusing taxonomic history. The closely related ''Meryceros'' and ''Submeryceros'' are generally regarded as synonynous with ''Merycodus''. One described species known as ''Merycodus grandis'' has now been reclassified as a species of '' Prosynthetoceras''. Another former species, ''M. furcatus'' is now placed in ''Cosoryx ''Cosoryx'' is an extinct genus of antilocaprid that lived in the Miocene of Nevada. Fossils of this genus have also been found in the Santa Fe Group in New Mexico. ''Cosoryx'' has sometimes been considered synonymous with ''Merycodus ' ...''. Description ''Merycodus'' had relatively short horn shafts with tines of nearly equal size that were about as long as the shaft. Species traditionally included in ''Meryceros'' had horns that were generally larger and more l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osbornoceros
''Osbornoceros'' is an extinct artiodactyl genus of the family Antilocapridae.Frick 1937 All antilocaprid species are extinct except for the pronghorn. ''Osbornoceros osborni'' is the only known species of the genus ''Osbornoceros''. ''Osbornoceros'' lived during the Late Miocene around 7 to 6 million years ago in what is now North America. It is well represented in fossil discoveries, with nearly a dozen specimens having been found to date. All come from the Chamita Formation in a quarry near Lyden, New Mexico, the site of numerous other finds such as that of ''Chamitataxus'', a prehistoric badger that lived at the same time.Owen 2006 The holotype specimen of ''Osbornoceros'' was discovered in 1937 and many more were found nearby during further expeditions.Galusha and Blick 1971 ''Osbornoceros'' was strikingly similar to today's pronghorn; it was lightly built and had a series of small horns that protruded from its skull. It was, like its relatives, a quadruped herbivore and g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paracosoryx
''Paracosoryx'' is an extinct genus of antilocaprid that lived in North America during the Miocene. Taxonomy It was originally described as a subgenus of ''Cosoryx'', but was elevated to full genus status. It has been suggest that ''Paracosoryx'' is paraphyletic, with some species more related to members of other genera than each other. Description The burr of ''Paracoryx'' is located relatively high on the shaft compared to other members of Merycodontinae Merycondontinae is a subfamily of pronghorn that arose during the middle of the Miocene and became extinct by the end of that period. The Merycondontinae were small, slightly built, fast-running ungulates. Both males and females were horned. .... The horn shaft is relatively long, with small, curved tines. References {{Reflist Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera Prehistoric pronghorns Miocene even-toed ungulates Miocene mammals of North America ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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