#xenokeryx

[markhors-menagerie]

Giraffe relatives physically cannot be normal it seems. Here’s some more of my favourites that I couldn’t make into a full post:

†Xenokeryx amidalae, art by Israel M. Sánchez. Apparently named after Padmé Amidala from Star Wars!

†Bramatherium perimense, art by WillemSvdMerwe.

†Climacoceras gentryi, art by WillemSvdMerwe.

[newlabdakos]

Xenokeryx

(temporal range: 15 mio. years ago)

[text from the Wikipedia article, see also link above]

Xenokeryx ("strange horn" in Greek) is an extinct genus of ruminant known from the Miocene of Europe. The type species, Xenokeryx amidalae, was recovered from central Spain and bears a unique T-shaped protrusion from the top of the head. The specific epithet amidalae is in reference to the character Padmé Amidala from the Star Wars films "due to the striking resemblance that the occipital appendage of Xenokeryx bears to one of the hairstyles that the aforementioned character shows in The Phantom Menace feature film."

[alphynix]

Weird Heads Month #08: Nose-Forks and Handlebar Heads

Modern ruminants are the only living mammals with bony headgear, with four different  lineages each sporting a slightly different type: deer antlers, bovid horns, giraffid ossicones, and the prongs of pronghorns.

We still don't actually know much about the evolutionary origins of ruminant headgear, although a recent genetic study suggests they're all derived from a single common ancestral structure (and that deer antlers started off as controlled bone cancer).

And some extinct species were even stranger.

The protoceratids were an early group of North American ruminants whose relationships are uncertain, but may have been related to modern chevrotains. They were convergently deer-like in appearance, with teeth adapted for grazing on tough grasses – and along with having a pair of horns in the usual position on their heads, males also sported an additional pair of ossicone-like growths on their noses.

Synthetoceras tricornatus lived during the Late Miocene, around 10-5 million years ago, and was one of the largest protoceratids, standing about 1.1m tall at the shoulder (3'7"). Its two nose-horns were partially fused into a single long structure with a forked tip, which may have been used for sparring in a similar manner to the antlers of modern deer.

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Meanwhile on a different branch of the ruminant family tree, closer related to deer and giraffes, a group known as the palaeomerycids independently developed a similar sort of extra head appendage – but at the opposite end of their skulls.

These ruminants were a little more heavily built than the protoceratids, and specialized in feeding on soft vegetation in humid forest environments. They were a highly successful group, existing for almost 30 million years, ranging across Eurasia, Africa, and North America, and even ventured into South America during the early phases of the Great American Interchange.

Males had two giraffe-like ossicones above their eyes, along with a third crest-like one at the very back of their heads. In some species this formed a single central "horn" shape, while in others it forked out to each side. They also often had long saber-like canine teeth similar to modern water deer and musk deer, which were probably used for fighting while their elaborate headgear was purely for visual display.

Xenokeryx amidalae lived in Spain during the mid Miocene, about 16 million years ago. It stood around 0.8-1m tall at the shoulder (2'7"-3′3″) and had a unique T-shaped "handlebar" crest which ended up inspiring its species name – a reference to the similar shape of one of Queen Amidala's headpieces in Star Wars, which was itself based on Mongolian imperial fashion.

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[hoofpeet]

mushroom antlers

brou if you want to see weird horns check out early giraffidae species some of these guys got wild

[caredogstips]

Strange “Star Wars” Creature Is 15 Million-Year-Old Giraffe Ancestor

What do the “Star Wars” franchise and archaic, giraffe-like beings have in common? A newly discovered fogy of a fanged, three-horned herbivore that wandered the central Cuenca province of Spain 15 million years ago has been referred Xenokeryx amidalae , virtually intending strange cornet of Amidala. Its especially rare chief ornamentation, according to the authors of the PLOS ONE study, resembles the headdress of a imaginary ruler in the veritable movie series.

One adult and two adolescent fossils were found in remarkable provision, allowing the researchers to reconstruct a relatively complete picture of these animals and the ancient surrounding they lived in. Paleontologist Israel Sanchez of the National Museum of Natural history in Madrid and lead author of such studies, used to tell Reuters that the shape of the males horn was excessively same to one of the hairstyles that Amidala presents off in ‘Star Wars’Episode 1 when she is the queen of her home planet Naboo.

Roughly the size of a modern deer, X. amidalae lived in a warm, grassland environment during the Miocene period( 23 to 5.3 million years ago ), alongside elephant ancestors, ancient horses and crocodiles, along with so-called bear-dogs, another extinct group of large, fearsome predators. The males owned a triple-horned leader, with the center cornet fanning out into a symmetrical T-shaped ornament. Curiously, although it was a herbivore, the males likewise featured saber-like fangs. The females has still to, and searched emphatically little unusual.

The trumpets are probably used for butting intents, much in the same way modern, male antelopes use their trumpets for duel in ritualistic mating flaunts. Although sharp, foremost canines are often associated with carnivorous ingesting attires, paleontologists hypothesize that these teeth were also be useful for combat associated with mate selection.

Image ascribe: The central horned members of X. amidale. Sanchez et al ./ PLOS ONE

In order to shed some light on its evolutionary pedigree, a series of reasonings likening its physical characteristics to same species were conducted. The boasts it has that are also found in both closely related species and their presumed common ancestor physical attributes known as synapomorphies were rostered, and computer programs were used to calculate its most probably position on the evolutionary tree.

This bizarre animal belonged to the Palaeomerycidae, an extinct category of ruminants, mammals with specialized bellies that ferment meat prior to digestion, much like the ones used by contemporary moo-cows. This family lived for 50 million years, waswidely dispersed across the globe, and all member species owned one forked appendage on their managers; they are likely to be the ancestors of modern deer.

X. amidalae itself is most closely related to modern giraffes and the okapi, a giraffe-like creature resembling a zebra, both of who the hell is found in Africa. The detail preserved by this collecting of fogies was so exquisite that health researchers could confidently remark where the entire Palaeomerycidae family fits in the larger group of ruminants.

It is strange, it posed a good[ evolutionary history] difficulty, it is fun to rebuild and it is a window to the marvels of the past, Sanchez memo. In this case, being a life-long ‘Star Wars’ fan, it was great to mix my two passions.

Read more: www.iflscience.com

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