# Praeovibos

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Species of mammal

Praeovibos Temporal range: Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Fossil of Praeovibos priscus at Musée de Préhistoire de Tautavel [fr] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Placentalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Genus: †Praeovibos Staudinger, 1908 Species: †P. priscus Binomial name †Praeovibos priscus Staudinger, 1908

***Praeovibos***, also known as the **giant muskox**, is an extinct genus of [bovid](/source/Bovid) that contains a single species, ***Praeovibos priscus***. It is closely related to the living [muskox](/source/Muskox) (*Ovibos moschatus*), and is placed as a part of the same tribe [Ovibovini](/source/Ovibovini).[1]

## Description

Restoration of *Praeovibos priscus* at Musée de Préhistoire de Tautavel

*Praeovibos priscus* was larger than the modern muskox (*Ovibos moschatus)* with a shoulder height of 130–165 cm and longer, more massive limbs.[2]

## Evolution, distribution and habitat

The earliest fossils of the genus date to the Early Pleistocene, around 1.5 million years ago.[1]

The giant muskox was widespread during the Pleistocene, ranging from western Europe to [Alaska](/source/Alaska) and the Northern [Yukon Territory](/source/Yukon). During the Glacial Periods *Praeovibos priscus* lived in the upland together with [reindeer (*Rangifer tarandus)*](/source/Reindeer) and other alpine animals. This species also lived in open wooded or savanna-like habitat, however in [Spain](/source/Spain) and [England](/source/England) it has been found living in moist, temperate forests.[3] The youngest fossils date to the Last Glacial Period, less than 50,000 years ago.[1]

## Ecology

Analysis of specimens from the Early Pleistocene of Spain suggests that *Praeovibos* was primarily a grazer.[4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_1-2) Campos, Paula F.; Sher, Andrei; Mead, Jim I.; Tikhonov, Alexei; Buckley, Michael; Collins, Matthew; Willerslev, Eske; Gilbert, M. Thomas P. (August 2010). ["Clarification of the taxonomic relationship of the extant and extinct ovibovids, Ovibos, Praeovibos, Euceratherium and Bootherium"](https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379110001423). *Quaternary Science Reviews*. **29** (17–18): 2123–2130. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2010QSRv...29.2123C](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010QSRv...29.2123C). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.05.006](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.quascirev.2010.05.006).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Mol, D., De Vos, J. & Reumer, J.W. F., 1999 – *Praeovibos priscus* (Bovidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) from the North Sea and aspects of its paleoecology

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:0_3-0)** Peter C. Lent (1999). [*Muskoxen and Their Hunters: A History*](https://books.google.com/books?id=KE2z-QFjj8kC). University of Oklahoma Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8061-3170-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8061-3170-2)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Palmqvist, P.; Perez-Claros, J. A.; Janis, C. M.; Figueirido, B.; Torregrosa, V.; Grocke, D. R. (2008-11-01). ["Biogeochemical and Ecomorphological Inferences On Prey Selection and Resource Partitioning Among Mammalian Carnivores In An Early Pleistocene Community"](https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/palaios/article/23/11/724-737/145947). *[PALAIOS](/source/PALAIOS)*. **23** (11): 724–737. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2008Palai..23..724P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008Palai..23..724P). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2110/palo.2007.p07-073r](https://doi.org/10.2110%2Fpalo.2007.p07-073r). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0883-1351](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0883-1351).

Taxon identifiers Praeovibos Wikidata: Q54875504 Wikispecies: Praeovibos GBIF: 4834954 IRMNG: 1100837 Open Tree of Life: 3611904 Paleobiology Database: 42835 Praeovibos priscus Wikidata: Q30673256 Wikispecies: Praeovibos priscus GBIF: 4970780 Open Tree of Life: 3611903 Paleobiology Database: 50654

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Praeovibos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praeovibos) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praeovibos?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.