Libralces

Libralces was a genus of Eurasian deer that lived during the Pliocene epoch. It is notable for its 2+ meter wide antlers, comparable in size to those of Megaloceros.

Libralces Temporal range: 5.330–0.781 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ 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[1]
Species
†L. gallicus †L. minor †L. reynoldsi

Libralces fossils have been found from France to Tajikistan,^[1] 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.^[2] L. latifrons is now considered a synonym of Cervalces latifrons.^{[3][better source needed]}

Gallery

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  Partial skull of Libralces latifrons