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Palaeomerycidae
The Palaeomerycidae is an extinct family of Neogene ruminants belonging to the infraorder Pecora. Palaeomerycids lived in Europe and Asia exclusively during the Miocene, coevolving with cervids, bovids, moschids, and tragulids there as part of a dramatic radiation of ruminants by the early Miocene. Dromomerycids are sometimes considered to be subfamilies of the Palaeomerycidae, but recent research brought doubt to this, arguing that the dromomerycids lack the sutures on the skull roof that giraffomorphs (Giraffidae, Palaeomerycidae, Climacoceratidae) have for ossicone features. The similar resemblances of the two families could be the result of parallel evolution. Description Palaeomerycids were a group of horned, long-legged and massive ruminants that could attain a weight of . One of the first known members of this group, '' Palaeomeryx'', was thought to be a hornless form distantly related to the Giraffidae before paleontologist Miguel Crusafont found remains of '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palaeomeryx
''Palaeomeryx'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Palaeomerycidae, endemic to Europe and Asia from the Miocene epoch, 16.9 – 7.25 Annum, Ma, existing for approximately . Taxonomy ''Palaeomeryx'' was named by von Meyer (1834). It is the type genus of Palaeomerycidae, Palaeomerycinae. It was assigned to Palaeomerycidae by Carroll (1988) and Sach and Heizmann (2001); and to Palaeomerycinae by Prothero and Liter (2007).D. R. Prothero and M. R. Liter. 2007. Family Palaeomerycidae. in D. R. Prothero and S. Foss (eds.), The Evolution of Artiodactyls 241-248 Fossil distribution *Amor, Leiria, Portugal *Level C1, Quarry Quebra Bilhas, Lisbon, Portugal *Buñol, Valencia, Spain *Lufeng, Yunnan Province, China *Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine References Palaeomerycidae Miocene Artiodactyla Tortonian extinctions Miocene mammals of Europe Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera Burdigalian first appearances Miocene mammals of Asia {{Paleo-eventoedungulate-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giraffomorpha
Giraffomorpha is a clade of pecoran ruminants containing the superfamilies Palaeomerycoidea (Palaeomerycidae) and Giraffoidea (Giraffidae, Prolibytheriidae and Climacoceratidae), of which the giraffe and okapi of the Giraffidae are the only extant members of the once-diverse clade as a result of a decline in diversity after the Miocene as a result of declines in temperatures. The clade is defined by the presence of ossicones, suggesting that the feature was developed as a result of basal, related evolutions between the two superfamilies rather than as an instance of parallel evolution. Giraffomorpha is also characterized by a lack of articular fossettes (hollows) in metatarsal bones III-IV. The position of the giraffomorphs '' Propalaeoryx'' of the Miocene of Africa and the insular '' Sardomeryx'' of the Miocene of Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triceromeryx
''Triceromeryx'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Palaeomerycidae, endemic to Europe from the middle Miocene epoch, 16.9—16.0 Ma, existing for approximately . It was similar to '' Ampelomeryx'', a herbivore. Taxonomy ''Triceromeryx'' was named by Villalta Commela et al. (1946). It was assigned to Giraffidae by Carroll (1988); and to Palaeomerycinae by Prothero and Liter (2007).D. R. Prothero and M. R. Liter. 2007. Family Palaeomerycidae. in D. R. Prothero and S. Foss (eds.), The Evolution of Artiodactyls 241-248 Fossil distribution * Cetina de Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain References External links ''Triceromeryx''at the Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database (PBDB) is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals, plants, and microorganisms. History The Paleobiology Database originated in the NCEAS-funded Phanerozoic Marine Pale ... Palaeomerycidae Miocene Artiodactyla Prehistoric animals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giraffidae
The Giraffidae are a family (biology), family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a recent 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 (between one and eight, usually four, 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 (Bovini, cattl ... [...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 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 ossicone Ossicones are columnar or conical skin-covered bone structures on the heads of giraffes, male okapi, and some of their extinct relatives. Ossicones are distinguished from the superficially similar structures of Horn (anatomy), horns and antlers ...s are derived from different bones. References * MacInnes, D. G. 1936, "A new genus of fossil deer from the Miocene of Africa", Journal of the Li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ampelomeryx Ginsburgi MHNT
''Ampelomeryx'' is a genus of extinct herbivorous even-toed ungulate mammals belonging to the family Palaeomerycidae. ''Ampelomeryx'' was named by Duranthon et al. (1995). It was assigned to the Palaeomerycinae by Prothero and Liter (2007). It had frontal and occipital appendages. It was similar to '' Tauromeryx'' and ''Triceromeryx ''Triceromeryx'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Palaeomerycidae, endemic to Europe from the middle Miocene epoch, 16.9—16.0 Ma, existing for approximately . It was similar to '' Ampelomeryx'', a herbivore. Taxonomy ''Tric ...''. References Palaeomerycidae Miocene Artiodactyla Monotypic prehistoric Artiodactyla genera Fossil taxa described in 1995 {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cervid
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) and Capreolinae (which includes, among others reindeer (caribou), white-tailed deer, roe deer, and moose). Male deer of almost all species (except the water deer), as well as female reindeer, grow and shed new antlers each year. These antlers are bony extensions of the skull and are often used for combat between males. The musk deer ( Moschidae) of Asia and chevrotains (Tragulidae) of tropical African and Asian forests are separate families that are also in the ruminant clade Ruminantia; they are not especially closely related to Cervidae. Deer appear in art from Paleolithic cave paintings onwards, and they have played a role in mythology, religion, and literature throughout history, as well as in heraldry, such as red deer that appear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pecora
Pecora is an Order (biology), infraorder of Artiodactyla, even-toed hoofed mammals with ruminant digestion. Most members of Pecora have cranial appendages projecting from their frontal bones; only two extant genera lack them, ''Hydropotes'' and ''Musk Deer, Moschus''. The name "Pecora" comes from the Latin word , which means "cattle".Bubenik, A. Epigenetical, Morphological, Physiological, and Behavioral Aspects of Evolution of Horns, Pronghorns, and Antlers. in ''Horns, Pronghorns, and Antlers''. G. Bubenik and A. Bubenik eds. Springer-Verlag. New York. 1990 Although most pecorans have cranial appendages, only some of these are properly called "horns", and many scientists agree that these appendages did not arise from a common ancestor, but instead evolved independently on at least two occasions.Janis, C., K. Scott. The Interrelationships of Higher Ruminant Families with Special Emphasis on the Members of the Cervoidea. ''American Museum Novitates''. 2893: 1-85. 1987. http://digit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ampelomeryx
''Ampelomeryx'' is a genus of extinct herbivorous even-toed ungulate mammals belonging to the family Palaeomerycidae. ''Ampelomeryx'' was named by Duranthon et al. (1995). It was assigned to the Palaeomerycinae by Prothero and Liter (2007). It had frontal and occipital appendages. It was similar to '' Tauromeryx'' and ''Triceromeryx ''Triceromeryx'' is an extinct genus of Artiodactyla, of the family Palaeomerycidae, endemic to Europe from the middle Miocene epoch, 16.9—16.0 Ma, existing for approximately . It was similar to '' Ampelomeryx'', a herbivore. Taxonomy ''Tric ...''. References Palaeomerycidae Miocene Artiodactyla Monotypic prehistoric Artiodactyla genera Fossil taxa described in 1995 {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruminants
Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The process, which takes place in the front part of the digestive system and therefore is called foregut fermentation, typically requires the fermented ingesta (known as cud) to be regurgitated and chewed again. The process of rechewing the cud to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called rumination. The word "ruminant" comes from the Latin ''ruminare'', which means "to chew over again". The roughly 200 species of ruminants include both domestic and wild species. Ruminating mammals include cattle, all domesticated and wild bovines, goats, sheep, giraffes, deer, gazelles, and antelopes.Fowler, M.E. (2010).Medicine and Surgery of Camelids, Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell. Chapter 1 General B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dromomerycid
Dromomerycidae is an extinct family of Neogene ruminants belonging to the infraorder Pecora. Dromomerycids, known by two subfamilies, were endemic to North America from the later early Miocene up to the early Pliocene (~5 Ma), leaving no descendants. Dromomerycidae has a long history of uncertain taxonomic affiliations due to its superficial resemblances with the Eurasian Neogene Palaeomerycidae and were traditionally classified as subfamilies within the family. However, recent research differentiates the dromomerycids from the Giraffomorpha (Giraffoidea and Palaeomerycoidea) by the lack of sutures on the skull roof that typically make up the ossicones of the later clade. The similar resemblances of the appendages therefore could be the result of parallel evolution Parallel evolution is the similar development of a trait in distinct species that are not closely related, but share a similar original trait in response to similar evolutionary pressure.Zhang, J. and Kumar, S. 199 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Occipital Bone
The occipital bone () is a neurocranium, cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone lies over the occipital lobes of the cerebrum. At the base of the skull in the occipital bone, there is a large oval opening called the foramen magnum, which allows the passage of the spinal cord. Like the other cranial bones, it is classed as a flat bone. Due to its many attachments and features, the occipital bone is described in terms of separate parts. From its front to the back is the basilar part of occipital bone, basilar part, also called the basioccipital, at the sides of the foramen magnum are the lateral parts of occipital bone, lateral parts, also called the exoccipitals, and the back is named as the squamous part of occipital bone, squamous part. The basilar part is a thick, somewhat quadrilateral piece in front of the foramen magnum and directed toward ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
