Extinct Antilocaprids in GURPS
North America was home to numerous extinct antilocaprids from the Miocene to Pleistocene. We know them only from fossils, so we lack a lot of evidence about their habits and physiology. To give them game stats, I had to make some assumptions and I assumed that those most closely related to pronghorns had similar capabilities but as we get to the more divergent species they become more "generic" ruminants, like other plains-dwelling deer and antelope. Of course, plains-dwelling deer and antelpe are still very diverse, a fact which is not reflected here. GMs should feel free to alter these templates to change aspects such as Ground Move, Increased/Reduced Endurance, FP, Enhanced Move, and especially behavioral traits (is Hexameryx Stubborn? Is Cosoryx Bad Tempered?).
- Antilocaprinae
- Capromeryx was a genus of small antilocaprid thought to live in dry forests and brush. It was found over southern and western North America in the Pleistocene and Pliocene. It had short, straight upward-pointing horns. Pliocene species of Capromeryx were about 25 to 35 kg, by the Pleistocene they had shrunk to around 10 kg.
- Hayoceros was a four-horned antilocaprid from the early Pleistocene - one set of horns was above the eyes as with modern pronghorns (and may have forked, as well), the other set projected back from the skull.
- Hexameryx was a six-horned antilocaprid from the Pliocene. Since we only know the shape of the bone cores, we do not know how many branches there were also counting the horny sheath - modern pronghorns have a single straight bone core but branching horns nonetheless, Hexameryx may have had a veritable bush of horns on its head.
- Osbornoceros was similar in form to modern pronghorns. It's bony horn core was slender, flattened side-to-side, and twisted as it extended back from the skull - the extent of the horny sheath and the amount of forking is unknown, but the horn cores look much like those of the modern Nyala antelope. Osbornoceros is from the late Miocene.
- Ilingoceros had an unusual set of horns. Each of its two horns looked something like a narwhal tusk, jutting straight out from the forehead but with a spiral twist - however, the horns forked at the end. Ilingoceros was from the Miocene.
- Proantilocapra was from the Miocene. The only remains are a partial skull and mandible of a juvenile, so it is difficult to determine what characteristics would distinguish it from other antilocaprids.
- Merycodontinae: These antilocaprids had branching, antler-like horns. It is likely they were skin-covered, like the ossicones of modern giraffes, rather than horn covered like those of modern pronghorns. The skin was shed annually and re-grew.
- Cosoryx lived in the Miocene period. It had antler-like horns whose bony cores branched into two tines.
- Merycodus was from the Miocene. It had two-tined horns. There were many species, ranging from about 8 to about 20 kg.
- Ramoceros had horns that shot out to the side before curving up in three tines each. Oddly, these horns were asymmetric - one side was consistently larger than the other. Ramoceros lived in the middle and late Miocene.
- Merriamoceros from the early Miocene had palmate horns, somewhat like the antlers of a moose.
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