Hypsodontus Sokolov, 1949

Jin, Yu-Qing, Jiangzuo, Qigao & Wang, Shi-Qi, 2025, The first discovery of Hypsodontus (Artiodactyla, Bovidae) from the Early Miocene of Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China, Fossil Record 28 (2), pp. 231-239 : 231-239

Genus Hypsodontus Sokolov, 1949

Type species.

Hypsodontus miocenicus Sokolov, 1949

Type locality.

the Chokrak sediments of the Middle Miocene in the Belometchetskaya, northern Caucasus

Included species.

Hypsodontus serbicus Pavlović, 1969 ; H. pronaticornis Köhler, 1987 ; H. sinensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

Medium-sized bovids (comparable to medium- and small-sized antelopes), possessing a long face and narrow occipital bones with an inverted “V” shape. Horn cores exhibit pronounced homonymous twisting and are inserted vertically above the orbital roofs, which prominently protrude from the sides of the skull. They uniformly taper from the base to the tip, and the surface is covered with small, shallow furrows without keel. The pedicles are long, with a diameter equivalent to the horn core bases. Dentition is moderately hypsodont, with relatively short lower premolar rows. The lower molars lack pillars (ectostylids) and exhibit flattened lingual walls; the distinctive goat-folds are present on the anterior part of the m 3 ( Sokolov 1949; Gabunia 1973; Köhler 1987; Dmitrieva 2007; Solounias 2007).

Differential diagnosis.

Hypsodontus differs from Gobiocerus in possessing relatively hypsodont teeth with smoother lingual walls, fully developed goat-folds, and the absence of supplementary elements at the base of crescents; further from Turcocerus in the larger size (except for T. grangeri ), more slender and consistent horn cores with a well-developed homonymous twisting and weak longitudinal grooves, and the dimensions of teeth are larger and lower molars that lack basal pillars (ectostylids). Additionally, horn cores differ from Kubanotragus in being more robust and displaying a remarkable homonymous twisting.