Libralces

Libralces Temporal range: 5.330–0.781  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Pliocene-Pleistocene
Libralces gallicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Subfamily:	Capreolinae
Tribe:	Alceini
Genus:	† Libralces Azzaroli 1952 [1]
Species
† L. gallicus †L. minor †L. reynoldsi

Libralces was a dubious genus of Eurasian deer that lived during the Pliocene epoch. It is notable for its 2+ meter wide antlers, comparable in size to those of Megaloceros .

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] L. latifrons is now considered a synonym of Cervalces latifrons . ^{[3] [ better source needed ]}

Gallery

• 
  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.
3. "Cervalces latifrons". Fossilworks.