| Antilocapridae | |
|---|---|
 Two Common Pronghorn | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Antilocapridae |
The Antilocapridae are a family of artiodactyls endemic to North America. Their closest extant relatives are the giraffids with which they comprise the superfamily Giraffoidea. 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 of 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.
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.
Species[]
Subfamily Antilocaprinae
Tribe Antilocaprini Genus Antilocapra Antilocapra americana - Pronghorn A. a. americana - Common Pronghorn A. a. mexicana - Mexican Pronghorn A. a. peninsularis - Baja California Pronghorn A. a. sonoriensis - Sonoran Pronghorn A. a. oregona - Oregon Pronghorn †Antilocapra maquinensis †Antilocapra pacifica Genus †Texoceros Texoceros altidens Texoceros edensis Texoceros guymonensis Texoceros minorei Texoceros texanus Texoceros vaughani Tribe †Ilingoceratini Genus †Ilingoceros Ilingoceros alexandrae Ilingoceros schizoceros Genus †Ottoceros Ottoceros peacevalleyensis Genus †Plioceros Plioceros blicki Plioceros dehlini Plioceros floblairi Genus †Sphenophalos Sphenophalos garciae Sphenophalos middleswarti Sphenophalos nevadanus Tribe †Proantilocaprini Genus †Proantilocapra Proantilocapra platycornea Genus †Osbornoceros Osbornoceros osborni Tribe Stockoceratini Genus †Capromeryx - (junior synonym Breameryx) Capromeryx arizonensis - (junior synonym B. arizonensis) Capromeryx furcifer - (junior synonyms B. minimus, C. minimus) Capromeryx gidleyi - (junior synonym B. gidleyi) Capromeryx mexicana - (junior synonym B. mexicana) Capromeryx minor - (junior synonym B. minor) 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 Genus †Tetrameryx Tetrameryx irvingtonensis Tetrameryx knoxensis Tetrameryx mooseri Tetrameryx shuleri Tetrameryx tacubayensis
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 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 Paracosoryx wilsoni Genus †Ramoceros Ramoceros brevicornis Ramoceros coronatus Ramoceros marthae Ramoceros merriami Ramoceros osborni Ramoceros palmatus Ramoceros ramosus Genus †Submeryceros Submeryceros crucianus Submeryceros minimus Submeryceros minor
