Prolibytherium
{{Short description|Genus of extinct artiodactyl mammals from the early Miocene}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = Burdigalian
~{{fossilrange|16.9|15.97}}
| image = Prolibytherium magnieri life restoration.jpg
| image_caption= Prolibytherium magnieri restoration, with female (left) and male (right)
| taxon = Prolibytherium
| authority = Arambourg, 1961
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
{{Bold species list
|{{Extinct}}P. fusum|Danowitz et al., 2016
|{{Extinct}}P. magnieri|Arambourg, 1961
}}
| type_species =
{{Extinct}}Prolibytherium magnieri
}}
Prolibytherium is an extinct genus of prolibytheriid artiodactyl ungulate native to Middle Miocene North Africa and Pakistan, from around 16.9 to 15.97 million years ago. Fossils of Prolibytherium were found in the Marada Formation of Libya, Vihowa Formation of Pakistan, and the Moghara Formation of Egypt.{{cite web |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=42706 |title=Prolibytherium |website=Fossilworks |access-date=13 June 2014 }}
Description
The {{convert|1.80|m}} long creature would have superficially resembled an okapi or a deer. Unlike these, however, Prolibytherium displayed dramatic sexual dimorphism, in that the male had a set of large, leaf-shaped ossicones with a width of {{convert|35|cm}}, while the female had a set of slender, horn-like ossicones.{{cite journal | first1 = Israel M. | last1 = Sánchez | first2 = Victoria | last2 = Quiralte | first3 = Jorge | last3 = Morales | first4 = Beatriz | last4 = Azanza | first5 = Martin | last5 = Pickford | title = Sexual dimorphism of the frontal appendages of the early Miocene African pecoran Prolibytherium Arambourg, 1961 (Mammalia, Ruminantia) | journal = Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology | volume = 30 | issue = 4 | date = 2010 | pages = 1306–1310 | doi = 10.1080/02724634.2010.483555 | jstor = 40864406 | bibcode = 2010JVPal..30.1306S | s2cid = 86847446 }}
The taxonomic status of Prolibytherium remains in flux. At one time, it was described as a relative of Sivatherium (as a precursor to "Libytherium maurusium" (S. maurusium)). Later, it would be regarded as a palaeomerycid, or either as a climacoceratid, or as a basal member of Giraffoidea. With the discovery and study of a female skull in 2010, Prolibytherium is tentatively confirmed as a climacoceratid. A recent study published in 2022 found it to be part of a separate family, Prolibytheriidae.{{cite journal | first1 = S.-Q. | last1 = Wang | first2 = J. | last2 = Ye| first3 = J.| last3 = Meng| first4 = C.| last4 = Li| first5 = L.| last5 = Costeur| first6 = B.| last6 = Mennecart|first7 = C.| last7 = Zhang|first8 = J.| last8 = Zhang|first9 = M.| last9 = Aiglstorfer|first10 = Y.| last10 = Wang|first11 = Y.| last11 = Wu|first12 = W.-Y. | last12 = Wu|first13 = T. | last13 = Deng|title = Sexual selection promotes giraffoid head-neck evolution and ecological adaptation| journal = Science| volume = 376| issue = 6597 | date = 2022| pages = 1306–1310 | doi = 10.1126/science.abl8316 | pmid = 35653459 | s2cid = 249313002 | doi-access = free}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Paleontology|Prehistoric mammals}}
- {{Commons category-inline|Prolibytherium|Prolibytherium}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q729196}}
Category:Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera
Category:Enigmatic mammal taxa
Category:Miocene mammals of Africa
Category:Miocene mammals of Asia
Category:Fossil taxa described in 1961
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