Megalovis

Megalovis; Temporal range: Late Pliocene - Lower Pleistocene
	Endocranial fossil of Megalovis latifrons
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Caprinae
Tribe:	Ovibovini
Genus:	†Megalovis; Schaub, 1923[1]
Type species
	†Megalovis latifrons; Schaub, 1923
Species
	M. balcanicus; M. guangxiensis; M. latifrons; M. piveteaui?; M. wimani?;

Megalovis is an extinct genus of bovid that lived in Eurasia during the Plio-Pleistocene.[2]

Taxonomy

Megalovis is typically considered a member of the subtribe Ovibovina of the Caprini tribe within the Antilopinae subfamily, which includes the living musk-ox. However, certain cranial characteristics like the teeth and horns are more similar to goats in the subtribe Caprina.[2] Three to five species are recognized including M. latifrons, the (type species) from Central and Southern Europe, the recently discovered M. balcanicus from the Balkans and M. guangxiensis from China.[3][4] Megalovis survived until the end of Villafranchian, approximately 1 million years ago.[5]

Description

Megalovis was a large animal, resembling a musk-ox in general morphology and weighing around half a ton.

However, its skull and horns more resembled that of a typical goat or sheep. It horns were short, with a circular section at the base. The horns curved upwards and slightly back. Its dentition was hypsodont, indicating it was a grazer.[6]

References

"Megalovis". Biolib.
Schaub, S. (1937). "Ein neuer Cavicornier aus dem Oberpliocaen von Honan". Bulletin of the Geological Institutions of the University of Uppsala. 27: 25–31.
Crégut-Bonnoure, E.; Dimitrijević, V. (2006). "Megalovis balcanicus sp. nov. and Soergelia intermedia sp. nov. (Mammalia, Bovidae, Caprinae), new Ovibovini from the Early Pleistocene of Europe". Revue de Paléobiologie. 25 (2): 723–773.
Huang, W. (1988). "First discovery of Megalovis guangxiensis and Alligator cf. sinensis in Guangdong". PalAsian Vertebrata. 26 (3): 227–231.
Sparassov, N. (2003). "The Plio-Pleistocene faun in South-Eastern Europe and the megafaunal migratory waves from the east to Europe". Revue de Paléobiologie. 22 (1): 197–229.
Agustí, Jordi; Antón, Mauricio (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. Columbia University Press. p. 221. ISBN 9780231116411.

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[1] "Megalovis". Biolib.

[Schaub-2] Schaub, S. (1937). "Ein neuer Cavicornier aus dem Oberpliocaen von Honan". Bulletin of the Geological Institutions of the University of Uppsala. 27: 25–31.

[3] Crégut-Bonnoure, E.; Dimitrijević, V. (2006). "Megalovis balcanicus sp. nov. and Soergelia intermedia sp. nov. (Mammalia, Bovidae, Caprinae), new Ovibovini from the Early Pleistocene of Europe". Revue de Paléobiologie. 25 (2): 723–773.

[4] Huang, W. (1988). "First discovery of Megalovis guangxiensis and Alligator cf. sinensis in Guangdong". PalAsian Vertebrata. 26 (3): 227–231.

[5] Sparassov, N. (2003). "The Plio-Pleistocene faun in South-Eastern Europe and the megafaunal migratory waves from the east to Europe". Revue de Paléobiologie. 22 (1): 197–229.

[6] Agustí, Jordi; Antón, Mauricio (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. Columbia University Press. p. 221. ISBN 9780231116411.