Belongs within: Ruminantiamorpha.
Contains: Dromomerycidae, Cervidae, Giraffoidea, Bovidae, Moschidae.
The Pecora are the clade containing most modern ruminants except for the chevrotains. The centre of modern diversity for the Pecora is the Old World. The pronghorn Antilocapra americana is, however, native to North America (as are some species of Bovidae and Cervidae). Relationships within the Pecora have long been debated, but most recent studies support a monophyletic grouping of Bovidae and Moschidae. Horns or other horn-like cranial appendages are characteristic of most living families of pecorans.
The fossil Gelocus communis is separated from crown Pecora by the lack of metastylids on the lower molars (Janis & Scott 1988). The Blastomerycinae are a North American group of hornless pecorans included by many authors in the Moschidae.
Synapomorphies (Janis & Scott 1988): Compact, parallel-sided astragalus; stapedial artery absent; enlarged fossa for stapedial muscle on petrosal; subarcuate fossa reduced; broadened basioccipital with strong flexion stops on condyles; laterally enclosed postglenoid foramen; fore- and hindlimbs almost equal in length; four-chambered stomach with omasum.
<==Pecora [Cervoidea, Dremotheriidae, Eucervoidea, Eupecora, Gelocidae, Moschina, Palaeomerycinae, Palaeomerycini]
|--GelocusJS88
| |--G. communisJS88
| `--G. whitworthi Hamilton 1973G78a
|--AmphitragulusHS23
`--+--Blastomerycinae [Blastomerycini]JS88
| |--Blastomeyx gemmiferHS23, WT08
| |--MachaeromeryxJS88
| |--LongirostromeryxJS88
| |--ParablastomeryxJS88
| `--ProblastomeryxJS88
|--+--DromomerycidaeHS23
| `--+--CervidaeHS23
| `--Lagomerycidae [Lagomerycinae, Lagomerycini]GRH06
| |--Lagomeryx Roger 1904JS88, H78a
| `--Procervulus Gaudry 1878GRH06, H78a
`--+--Dremotherium Geoffrey 1833HS23, SM93
| `--D. feignouxiBLB05
`--+--PalaeomerycidaeHS23
| | i. s.: Oriomeryx Ginsburg 1985SM93
| | Palaeomeryx Meyer 1834SM93 [incl. Propalaeomeryx Lydekker 1883H78a, SM93, ProxH78a]
| | |--P. bojaniH78a
| | |--P. eminensH78a
| | `--‘Propalaeomeryx’ sivalensis Lydekker 1883H78a
| |--Propalaeoryx Stromer 1926HS23, MSP99
| | |--*P. austroafricanus Stromer 1926MSP99
| | `--P. nyanzae Whitworth 1958H78a
| `--+--Triceromeryx Villalta, Crusafont & Lavocat 1946HS23, H78b [Triceromerycidae]
| | `--T. pachecoiH78b
| |--XenokeryxHS23
| `--AmpelomeryxHS23
`--+--+--HoplitomerycidaeHD03
| | |--AmphimoschusJS88
| | `--Hoplitomeryx Leinders 1983HS23, D07
| | `--H. mattheiD07
| `--+--Prolibytherium Arambourg 1961HS23, C78
| | `--P. magnieri Arambourg 1961C78
| `--DiscokeryxHS23
`--+--GiraffoideaHS23
`--+--Sperrgebietomeryx Morales, Soria & Pickford 1999HS23, MSP99
| `--*S. wardi Morales, Soria & Pickford 1999MSP99
`--+--AntilocapridaeHS23
| | i. s.: Paracosoryx wilsoniMJ11, MHL03
| | TexocerosWT08
| |--Merycodus Leidy 1854HS23, C77 [Merycodontinae]
| | |--M. nevadensisD07
| | `--M. sabulonisMHL03
| `--+--+--Capromeryx minorFS15
| | `--+--Tetrameryx shuleriFS15
| | `--Stockoceros conklingiHS23, FS15
| `--Antilocapra [Antilocaprinae]HS23
| `--A. americana (Ord in Guthrie 1815)B75 (see below for synonymy)
| |--A. a. americanaK84
| |--A. a. mexicana Merriam 1901MB86
| |--A. a. peninsularisK84
| `--A. a. sonoriensisK84
`--+--BovidaeHS23
`--+--LeptomerycidaeHD03
| |--PronodensJS88
| |--Pseudoparablastomeryx Frick 1937SM93
| |--XinjiangmeryxJS88
| `--LeptomeryxHE96 [incl. Hendryomeryx Black 1978HE96, Hidrosotherium Wilson 1974P96]
| | i. s.: L. blacki Stock 1949S96
| |--L. defordi Wilson 1974HE96 (see below for synonymy)
| |--L. esulcatus Cope 1889 [=Hendryomeryx esulcatus]HE96
| |--L. wilsoni (Black 1978) [=Hendryomeryx wilsoni]HE96
| `--+--L. mammifer Cope 1885HE96
| |--L. yoderi Schlaikjer 1935HE96, S96
| `--+--*L. evansi Leidy 1853HE96, S96
| `--L. speciosus Lambe 1908HE96, S96
`--MoschidaeHS23
Pecora incertae sedis:
LigeromeryxHD03
HypsodontusJS88
KubanotragusJS88
Phaneromeryx Schlosser 1886SM93
Pseudoceras Frick 1937SM93
LophiomerycidaeSM93
|--Lophiomeryx Pomel 1854SM93
`--ZhailimeryxR06
GobiomeryxJS88
NotomeryxJS88
ProdremotheriumJS88
EumeryxJS88
RutitheriumJS88
WalanganiaJS88 [incl. Kenyameryx Ginsburg & Heintz 1966H78a]
`--W. africanus (Whitworth 1958)G78b (see below for synonymy)
Antilocapra americana (Ord in Guthrie 1815)B75 [=Antilope americanusB75; incl. Antilope furciferaH04]
Leptomeryx defordi Wilson 1974HE96 [=Hendryomeryx defordiHE96; incl. Hidrosotherium transpecosensis Wilson 1974P96]
Walangania africanus (Whitworth 1958)G78b [=Palaeomeryx africanusG78b, *Kenyameryx africanusH78a; incl. Walangania gracilisG78b]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
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