Libralces
| Libralces Temporal range: 5.330–0.781 Ma Pliocene |
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| Libralces gallicus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae Carroll 1988[1] |
| Subfamily: | Odocoilinae |
| Genus: | †Libralces Azzaroli 1952[1] |
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Libralces was a genus of Eurasian deer that lived during the Pliocene period. The genus' main claim to fame are their 2+ meter wide antlers, comparable in size with those of Megaloceros.
Fossils of Libralces have been found from France to Tajikistan[1] with best known the French L. gallicus.
According to Jordi Agustí, Libracles was the ancestor of Megaloceros, though, most other authorities regard it as a relative of moose, Alces.
In the Pleistocene, there were three genera of Holarctic moose-like deer — Cervalces, Alces, and Libralces. In contrast to modern Alces, the Villafranchian Libralces gallicus had very long-beamed, small-palmed antlers and a generalized skull with moderately reduced nasals; the Nearctic Cervalces had longer nasals and more complex antlers than Libralces. Azzaroli 1953 added Alces latiforns to Libralces, but this position has been challenged.[2]
Gallery[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Libralces". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved September 2012.
- ^ Kurtén, Björn; Anderson, Elaine (1980). Pleistocene Mammals of North America. Columbia University Press. p. 315. ISBN 9780231037334.
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