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Fun-gulates

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Description

Shown here are representative species for the three most populous ruminant families, all residents of the eurasian steppes and contemporanous species with Avisapiens Borealis.

1: Northern tusked-deer (Family Paencervus) - the tusked deer are not, in fact, deer, but are very close to what would have become the Palaeomerycidae. Males are marked by their large tusks (modified incisors), used mainly in sexual display. The tusked-deer fulfill a niche very similar to that of deer or antelope - small to medium-sized grazers and browsers. Most species live in small herds, but many forest species are more solitary.

2: Steppe Chulengo (Family Merycauchenia) - The chulengos (a phrase used in reality for juvenile guanacos) are long-necked grazers who live fairly social lives. They evolved from an ancestor in N. America, and are among the most variable (in body types) of any ruminant group - ranging from long-necked browsers to small, antelope-like forms.

3: Greater Korova (family Notobovidae) - The Korovas (russian for cow) are the closest to bovids as this world has. Much like the tusked-deer, the korovas sport tusks instead of horns. However, among other morphological differences, the korova family always have four tusks - (or at the very least, vestigial incisors). They usually live in large herds, and are often keystone species in maintaining steppe/prairie environments.

Notes - These are my prototype ruminants, and so far, I kind of like them. My main thoughts for these ungulates were these - how do I make ungulates that are distinctly different from the real worlds without being stupidly so? How can you have some of the fantastic sexual display organs without just using horns or antlers? Then I remembered the babyrousa. Enough said.
For the Chulengo, I basically took all my favourite ungulates - the macrauchenia, saiga antelope, and dromedary - and mashed them all together.
Thoughts? Comments? Etc?
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bhut's avatar
As far as ungulate prototypes go, these ones are very impressive!