| Discokeryx Temporal range: Miocene | |
|---|---|
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| Discokeryx by Armsaurus on Deviantart | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryote |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | †Prolibytheriidae |
| Genus: | †Discokeryx Shi-Qi Wang et al., 2022 |
| Species: | †D. xeizhi |
| Type species | |
| †Discokeryx xiezhi Shi-Qi Wang et al., 2022 | |
Discokeryx is an extinct genus of even toed ungulates, likely related to the modern day giraffe or okapi. Discokeryx lived during the Miocene at around 17 million years ago. The type and only species known is D. xiezhi.
Naming[]
The generic name "Discokeryx" stands for "round plated horn" after its unique head ornamentation, with the specific name "xiezhi" after the mythological Chinese creature of the same name known for its resemblance of an ox or goat with a single bony horn on its head.
Description[]
Discokeryx has a thick-boned cranium with disk shaped headgear located in the middle of the head, making it look similar to the dinosaur Pachycephalosaurus, meaning that the dome head could have convergently evolved for a similar purpose. Discokeryx has the most complicated head-neck joints of any mammal known at the time of its discovery. Compared to modern day headbutting animals, Discokeryx has the most optimized adaptations, with a skull that protected the brain more efficiently than others.
Paleoecology[]
Discokeryx was an open land grazer that drank from multiple sources of water.