Libralces

Libralces
Temporal range: 5.330–0.781 Ma

Pliocene-Pleistocene

Libralces gallicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Carroll 1988[1]
Subfamily: Odocoilinae
Genus: Libralces
Azzaroli 1952[1]
species
  • L. gallicus
  • L. latifrons
  • L. reynoldsi

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]

Partial skull of Libralces latifrons 

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Libralces". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved September 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. Kurtén, Björn; Anderson, Elaine (1980). Pleistocene Mammals of North America. Columbia University Press. p. 315. ISBN 9780231037334.
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