Libralces

Libralces was a genus of Eurasian deer that lived during the Pliocene epoch. Its main claim to fame are its 2+ meter wide antlers, comparable in size to those of Megaloceros.

Libralces
Temporal range: 5.330–0.781 Ma
↓
Pliocene-Pleistocene
Libralces gallicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: †Odocoilinae
Genus: †Libralces
Azzaroli 1952[1]
Species
  • †L. gallicus
  • †L. latifrons
  • †L. reynoldsi

Libralces fossils have been found from France to Tajikistan,[1] with the best-known examples being the French L. gallicus.

According to Jordi Agustí, Libralces 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. "Libralces". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  2. Kurtén, Björn; Anderson, Elaine (1980). Pleistocene Mammals of North America. Columbia University Press. p. 315. ISBN 9780231037334.


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