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''Bootherium'' (Greek: "ox" (boos), "beast" (therion)) is an extinct bovid genus from the middle to late
helmeted muskox, or bonnet-headed muskox. ''Bootherium'' was one of the most widely distributed
''Symbos'' was formerly thought to be a separate genus, but is now known to be synonymous. The closest relative of ''Bootherium'' is the extant muskox '' Ovibos moschatus''. However, unlike the tundra muskox, ''Bootherium'' was physically adapted to a range of less frigid climates and appears to have been the only ox to have evolved in and remain restricted to the North American continent. ''Bootherium'' was significantly taller and leaner than muskoxen found today in Paleobiology Database: Bootherium bombifrons
/ref> Other differences were a thicker skull and considerably longer snout. The horns of ''Bootherium'' were situated high on the skull, with a downward curve and were fused along the midline of the skull, unlike tundra muskoxen whose horns are separated by a medial groove. Three other species of musk oxen co-inhabited North America during the Pleistocene era. Besides the surviving tundra muskox, the extinct
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the '' Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed ...
of North America which contains a single species, ''Bootherium bombifrons''.McKenna & Bell, 1997, p. 442. Vernacular names for ''Bootherium'' include Harlan's muskox, woodox, woodland muskox,The Academy of Natural Scienceshelmeted muskox, or bonnet-headed muskox. ''Bootherium'' was one of the most widely distributed
muskox
The muskox (''Ovibos moschatus'', in Latin "musky sheep-ox"), also spelled musk ox and musk-ox, plural muskoxen or musk oxen (in iu, ᐅᒥᖕᒪᒃ, umingmak; in Woods Cree: ), is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, ...
species in North America during the Pleistocene era. It is most closely related to the modern muskox
The muskox (''Ovibos moschatus'', in Latin "musky sheep-ox"), also spelled musk ox and musk-ox, plural muskoxen or musk oxen (in iu, ᐅᒥᖕᒪᒃ, umingmak; in Woods Cree: ), is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, ...
, from which it diverged around 3 million years ago, it is possibly synonymous with ''Euceratherium
The shrub-ox (''Euceratherium collinum'') is an extinct genus and species of ovibovine caprine native to North America along with '' Bootherium'' (''Bootherium bombifrons'') and Soergel's ox (''Soergelia mayfieldi''). Descriptions
''Eucer ...
'', although this is uncertain.
Taxonomy
Fossils have been documented from as far north asAlaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
to California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
,Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
, Oklahoma, Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
, North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
and New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
. The species became extinct approximately 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...
.
''Symbos'' was formerly thought to be a separate genus, but is now known to be synonymous. The closest relative of ''Bootherium'' is the extant muskox '' Ovibos moschatus''. However, unlike the tundra muskox, ''Bootherium'' was physically adapted to a range of less frigid climates and appears to have been the only ox to have evolved in and remain restricted to the North American continent. ''Bootherium'' was significantly taller and leaner than muskoxen found today in Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada ( Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm ( Greenland), Finland, Iceland ...
regions. ''Bootherium'' were estimated to weigh around ./ref> Other differences were a thicker skull and considerably longer snout. The horns of ''Bootherium'' were situated high on the skull, with a downward curve and were fused along the midline of the skull, unlike tundra muskoxen whose horns are separated by a medial groove. Three other species of musk oxen co-inhabited North America during the Pleistocene era. Besides the surviving tundra muskox, the extinct
shrub-ox
The shrub-ox (''Euceratherium collinum'') is an extinct genus and species of ovibovine caprine native to North America along with '' Bootherium'' (''Bootherium bombifrons'') and Soergel's ox (''Soergelia mayfieldi''). Descriptions
''Eucer ...
(''Euceratherium collinum'') and Soergel's ox (''Soergelia mayfieldi'') were also present.
Notes
References
*External links
* http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/helmet.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20080407140851/http://www.ansp.org/museum/jefferson/otherFossils/bootherium.php {{Taxonbar, from1=Q38720035, from2=Q1603113 Prehistoric bovids Prehistoric mammals of North America Pleistocene mammals of North America Pleistocene even-toed ungulates Pleistocene species extinctions Taxa named by Joseph Leidy Fossil taxa described in 1852 Taxa named by Richard Harlan Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera