Giraffe's long lost cousin found?
Source: BBC
Giraffe's long lost cousin found?
By Andrea Szöllössi
Science writer
4 December 2015 Science & Environment
Well-preserved fossils of the extinct three-horn ruminant Xenokeryx amidalae found in central Spain suggest it is a close relation to modern giraffes.
A new investigation challenges the previously held view that this unusual looking creature is related to North American ancestors of deer.
Scientists say the new study will help us better understand the evolution of cranial features such as horns, as well as the evolution of land ecosystems.
Their work is reported in PLoS One.
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Palaeomerycids, now extinct, were strange-looking three-horned ruminants found in many areas, from Spain to China, some 5-23 million years ago, during what is termed the Miocene Period.
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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35009455
