Miotragocerus

Miotragocerus Temporal range: Miocene, 12–8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae
Tribe:	†Tragoportacini
Genus:	†Miotragocerus Stromer, 1928
Type species
†Miotragocerus monacensis Stromer, 1928
Other species
† M. gluten Pilgrim, 1937 † M. pannoniae Kretzoi, 1941 † M. valenciennesi Gaudry, 1861

Miotragocerus is an extinct genus of bovine bovid native to Eurasia during the latter part of the Miocene epoch, from around 13 to 6 million years ago, spanning from Europe to China.

Taxonomy

The placement of Miotragocerus is disputed. Some studies have considered it a member of the living antelope tribe Boselaphini, with others have placed it in the extinct tribe Tragoportacini. A 2021 phylogenetic analysis considered it to be a basal member of the tribe Bovini, and the closest known relative to the possibly extinct saola (Pseudoryx).

Description

M. gluten possessed teeth that were brachydont to sub-hypsodont in their morphology.

Ecology

The dental mesowear of Miotragocerus gluten from Chabbar Syedan in Pakistan evidences that the species was a browsing herbivore that potentially occasionally engaged in mixed feeding. Dental microwear of Miotragocerus gaudryi from the Late Miocene of Bulgaria suggests that it was a folivorous browser. Another dental microwear study examining Miotragocerus sp. from the site of Rudabánya in Hungary also recovers it as a browser.

References