Damaliscus hypsodon explained

Damaliscus hypsodon is an extinct species of antelope from the Middle-Late Pleistocene of Africa. Fossils have been found in Kenya and Tanzania.

Taxonomy

It was first described in 2012, though its remains were initially discovered in 1990 and went unnamed. The earliest remains are from around 392 to 330 ka,^[1] while the latest are from as recently as 12,000 years ago.^{[2] [3]}

Description

Damaliscus hypsodon was a small alcelaphine, only around the size of an impala. The teeth of D. hypsodon showed a degree of hypsodonty greater than living antelopes and comparable to horses, indicating that it was a specialized grazer. Its remains have been found in association with oryx and zebras, which along with its tooth morphology suggest that it lived in open and arid grasslands.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Faith. J. Tyler. Potts. Richard. Plummer. Thomas W.. Bishop. Laura C.. Marean. Curtis W.. Tryon. Christian A.. November 2012. New perspectives on middle Pleistocene change in the large mammal faunas of East Africa: Damaliscus hypsodon sp. nov. (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from Lainyamok, Kenya. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. en. 361-362. 84–93. 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.08.005. 2012PPP...361...84F.
2. Marean . C. . Gifford-Gonzalez . D. . Late Quaternary extinct ungulates of East Africa and palaeoenvironmental implications . Nature . 1991 . 350 . 6317 . 418–420. 10.1038/350418a0 . 4264831 .
3. Faith . J. Tyler . Rowan . John . O’Brien . Kaedan . Blegen . Nick . Peppe . Daniel J. . 7 December 2020 . Late Pleistocene Mammals from Kibogo, Kenya: Systematic Paleontology, Paleoenvironments, and Non-Analog Associations . . en . 40 . 5 . e1841781 . 10.1080/02724634.2020.1841781 . 0272-4634 . 30 April 2024 . Taylor and Francis Online.
4. Faith . J. Tyler . Late Pleistocene and Holocene mammal extinctions on continental Africa . Earth-Science Reviews . 2014 . 128 . 105–121 . 10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.10.009 .