Rusingoryx
| Rusingoryx Temporal range: Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Alcelaphinae |
| Genus: | †Rusingoryx Pickford & Thomas, 1984 |
| Species: | †R. atopocranion |
| Binomial name | |
| Rusingoryx atopocranion Pickford & Thomas, 1984 | |
Rusingoryx is a genus of extinct alcelaphine bovid artiodactyl closely related to the wildebeest. It contains one species, R. atopocranion, that lived on the plains of Kenya during the Pleistocene.[1]
Rusingoryx is known for its strange pointed nose with a large nasal dome. This structure represents an instance of convergent evolution with the crests of hadrosaurid dinosaurs, which were used for display and vocalization.[1][2][3]
The first specimens, which were poorly preserved, were described in 1983, having been taken from a site called Bovid Hill on Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria.[3] Butchered bones found in 2011 with stone tools suggested that they had been killed by humans.[4][2] In 2016, remains of an additional 26 better preserved individuals were discovered.
References
- 1 2 Haley D. O’Brien, J. Tyler Faith, Kirsten E. Jenkins, Daniel J. Peppe, Thomas W. Plummer, Zenobia L. Jacobs, Bo Li, Renaud Joannes-Boyau, Gilbert Price, Yue-xing Feng and Christian A. Tryon (2016). "Unexpected Convergent Evolution of Nasal Domes between Pleistocene Bovids and Cretaceous Hadrosaur Dinosaurs". Current Biology. 26 (4): 503–508. PMID 26853365. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.050.
- 1 2 "Revealed: Rusingoryx, an ancient wildebeest cousin with bizarre dinosaur traits". The Guardian. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Pleistocene Mammal Rusingoryx atopocranion Had Dinosaur-Like ‘Nose’". sci-news.com. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ↑ Faith J. Tyler; et al. (2011). "Taxonomic status and paleoecology of Rusingoryx atopocranion (Mammalia, Artiodactyla), an extinct Pleistocene bovid from Rusinga Island, Kenya" (PDF). Quaternary Research. 75 (3): 697–707. doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2010.11.006.