Samotragus Sickenberg, 1936

Kostopoulos, Dimitris S., 2014, Taxonomic re-assessment and phylogenetic relationships of Miocene homonymously spiral-horned antelopes, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 59 (1), pp. 9-29 : 14-15

Genus Samotragus Sickenberg, 1936

Type species: Samotragus crassicornis Sickenberg, 1936 ; see below.

Emended diagnosis (modified from Bouvrain and Bonis 1985).—Plesiomorphic traits: Small to medium−sized bovids with short horncores inserted above the orbits; horncores with a convex lateral surface, elliptical to sub−rounded in cross section (compression index: 79–97%; Fig. 1 ); braincase moderately long, with parallel sides. Apomorphic traits: horncores robust, homonymously twisted (1 coil), closely spiraled, abruptly tapering, and situated relatively close to each other on the frontals; horncores moderately to strongly curved posteriorly at halfway point, with the tips trending posterolaterally or laterally; lateral sulcus on the proximal part of the horncores developed as a deep and narrow furrow; frontals moderately elevated between the horncores; orbits protruding laterally; face moderately to strongly inclined compared to braincase (Ẑ90°); lacrimal fossae shallow or absent; supraorbital foramina small and situated within wide pits; short basioccipital, widened anteriorly, and bearing a medial longitudinal crest; auditory bullae small and compressed.

B A C 50 mm

Remarks.— Samotragus was originally described from the Late Miocene of Samos Island, Greece ( Sickenberg 1936), and later reported to occur in the Vallesian faunas of the Axios Valley, Greece ( Bouvrain and Bonis 1985). Solounias (1981) suggested synonymizing Samotragus with Sinotragus Bohlin, 1935 , but Bouvrain and Bonis (1985: 285) challenged this option, thoroughly revising and re−validating the genus. The present generic concept largely follows Bouvrain and Bonis (1985) in excluding later referrals, such as Samotragus pilgrimi Azanza, Nieto, and Morales, 1998 (see previous section) and Samotragus occidentalis Masini and Thomas, 1989 (see following section).

Figures

Fig. 1. Box−plots of the horncore basal compression index (i.e., TD*100/ ADP) for several species and genera of Oiocerina, showing the medial (horizontal line inside the boxes), the 25–75% quartiles (gray boxes) and the minimum and maximum range of values (short horizontal lines). NKT−1, Nikiti−1; RZ1, Ravin des Zouaves 1.