Libralces
Libralces was a genus of Eurasian deer that lived during the Pliocene epoch. Its main claim to fame is its 2+ meter wide antlers, comparable in size to those of Megaloceros.
| Libralces Temporal range: Pliocene-Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
| Libralces gallicus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Capreolinae |
| Tribe: | Alceini |
| Genus: | †Libralces Azzaroli 1952 |
| Species | |
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Libralces fossils have been found from France to Tajikistan, 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. L. latifrons is now considered a synonym of Cervalces latifrons.