Extinct Group 



XI. Genus Anoglochis [Extinct] 



Anoglochis, Croizet and Jobert, Oss. Foss. Puy-de-D6me, Gervida, descrip- 

 tion or" plate ii (1828), as a sub-genus 1 ; Pomel, Cat. Methodique, p. 107 



(1853). 



Polycladus, Gervais, Zool. et Pal. Frangaises, 2nd ed. p. 146 (1859), nec 

 Polyclados, Brandt, 1835. 



Eucladoceros, Falconer, Pal. Mem. vol. ii. p. 472 (1868), as a sub-genus. 



Characters. — Lateral metacarpals unknown; antlers large, without a 

 brow-tine, but with a sub-basal snag, above which the beam is dichotomously 

 forked, one or both prongs of the fork again dividing once or more, and 

 the whole antler forming a marked angle with the plane of the face ; vomer 

 unknown. 



Although their conclusions have been rejected by M. Deperet, it 

 appears evident that Messrs. Croizet and Jobert were perfectly justified in 

 dividing the French Pliocene deer into a brow-antlered [C a tog loch is) and 

 fork-antlered group [Anoglochis], and there seems no good reason for 

 separating Dr. Falconer's Eucladoceros from the latter of these, which was 

 typified by Cervus ramosus. In all these deer, what has usually been 

 described as the brow-tine of the antlers, is clearly comparable with the sub- 

 basal snag of many of the existing species of Mazama > as may be seen by a 

 comparison of the figures ; and it is not till a greater or smaller distance 

 above the origin of this snag that the antler makes its regular dichotomous 

 fork. That these deer are generically distinct from Elaphurus seems 

 probable from the conformation of the antlers ; but, although it is perhaps 

 unlikely that they are generically identical, yet until the nature of the 

 lateral metacarpal bones and the relations of the vomer are known, it seems 

 impossible to formulate a definition from the antlers alone by which they 

 can be satisfactorily separated from the American Mazama. These deer 

 indicate the probability of Mazama having sprung from an Old World 

 type. 



Distribution. — Western Europe during the upper Pliocene and early 

 part of the Plistocene period. 



1 The text of this portion of the work was never published, and the generic and specific names 

 appear only on the original covers. 



