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Antilocapridae

 
Veterinary Dictionary: Antilocapridae
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A family of antelopes containing only one species, Antilocapra americana, the pronghorn antelope.

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Antilocapridae
Fossil range: Early Miocene–Recent

Pronghorns in Fort Keogh, Montana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Infraorder: Pecora
Family: Antilocapridae
Owen, 1841
Genus

See text.

Antilocapridae is a family of artiodactyls endemic to North America. Their closest extant relatives are the giraffids. 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. It bears small, forked horns.

In most respects, antilocaprids resemble other ruminants. They have a complex, four-chambered stomach for digesting tough plant matter, cloven hooves, and a similar body shape to antelopes. 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:

Dentition
0.0.3.3
3.1.3.3

Evolution

The antilocaprids evolved in North America, where they filled a niche similar to that of the bovids that evolved in the Old World. During the Miocene and Pliocene, they were a diverse and successful group, with many different species. Some had horns with bizarre shapes, or had four, or even six, horns. Examples include Osbornoceros, with smooth, slightly curved horns, Paracosoryx, with flattened horns that widened to forked tips, Ramoceros, with fan-shaped horns, and Hayoceros, with four horns.[1][2]

Species

  • Subfamily Merycodontinae
    • Genus Cosoryx
      • Cosoryx agilis
      • Cosoryx cerroensis
      • Cosoryx furcatus
      • Cosoryx ilfonensis
      • Cosoryx trilateralis
    • Genus Meryceros
      • Meryceros crucensis
      • Merycerus crucianus
      • Meryceros hookwayi
      • Meryceros joraki
      • Meryceros major - Giant Pronghorn
      • Meryceros nenzelensis
      • Meryceros warreni
    • Genus Merycodus
      • Merycodus furcatus
      • Merycodus grandis
      • Merycodus necatus
      • Merycodus prodromus
      • Merycodus sabulonis
    • Genus Paracosoryx
      • Paracosoryx alticornis
      • Paracosoryx burgensis
      • Paracosoryx dawesensis
      • Paracosoryx furlongi
      • Paracosoryx loxoceros
      • Paracosoryx nevadensis - Nevanda Pronghorn
      • Paracosoryx wilsoni - Wilson's Pronghorn
    • Genus Ramoceros
      • Ramoceros brevicornis
      • Ramoceros coronatus
      • Ramoceros marthae
      • Ramoceros merriami - Merriam's Pronghorn
        Ramoceros osborni skeleton
      • Ramoceros osborni
      • Ramoceros palmatus
      • Ramoceros ramosus
    • Genus Submeryceros
      • Submeryceros crucianus
      • Submeryceros minimus
      • Submeryceros minor - Dwarf Pronghorn
  • Subfamily Antilocaprinae
    • Tribe Proantilocaprini
    • Tribe Ilingoceratini
      • Genus Ilingoceros
      • Genus Ottoceros
        • Ottoceros peacevalleyensis
      • Genus Plioceros
        • Plioceros blicki
        • Plioceros dehlini
        • Plioceros floblairi
      • Genus Sphenophalos
        • Sphenophalos garciae
        • Sphenophalos middleswarti
        • Sphenophalos nevadanus
    • Tribe Stockoceratini
      • Genus Capromeryx
        • Capromeryx arizonensis
        • Capromeryx furcifer
        • Capromeryx gidleyi a forgotten name (nomen oblitum)= C. arizonensis
        • Capromeryx mexicanus -Mexican Capromyerx = C. furcifer
        • Capromeryx minor = C. furcifer
        • Capromeryx minimus = C. furcifer
        • Capromeryx tauntonensis
      • Genus Ceratomeryx
        • Ceratomeryx prenticei
      • Genus Hayoceros
        • Hayoceros barbouri
        • Hayoceros falkenbachi
      • Genus Hexameryx
        • Hexameryx simpsoni
      • Genus Hexobelomeryx
        • Hexobelomeryx fricki
        • Hexobelomeryx simpsoni
      • Genus Stockoceros
        • Stockoceros conklingi
        • Stockoceros onusrosagris = S. conklingii
      • Genus Tetrameryx
        • Tetrameryx irvingtonensis
        • Tetrameryx knoxensis
        • Tetrameryx mooseri
        • Tetrameryx shuleri
        • Tetrameryx tacubayensis
    • Tribe Antilocaprini

References

  1. ^ Savage, RJG, & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 232–233. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X. 
  2. ^ Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 280. ISBN 1-84028-152-9. 
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pronghorn (vertebrate zoology)
Artiodactyla
antelope (mammal)

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Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Antilocapridae".  Read more