Horns: hard, pointed, permanent structure composed of a bone structure covered by keratin.

Weird Heads Month #08: Nose-Forks and Handlebar Heads

Modern ruminants are the only living mammals with bony headgear, with four different  lineages each sporting a slightly different type: deer antlers, bovid horns, giraffid ossicones, and the prongs of pronghorns.

We still don't actually know much about the evolutionary origins of ruminant headgear, although a recent genetic study suggests they're all derived from a single common ancestral structure (and that deer antlers started off as controlled bone cancer).

And some extinct species were even stranger.

The protoceratids were an early group of North American ruminants whose relationships are uncertain, but may have been related to modern chevrotains. They were convergently deer-like in appearance, with teeth adapted for grazing on tough grasses – and along with having a pair of horns in the usual position on their heads, males also sported an additional pair of ossicone-like growths on their noses.

Synthetoceras tricornatus lived during the Late Miocene, around 10-5 million years ago, and was one of the largest protoceratids, standing about 1.1m tall at the shoulder (3'7"). Its two nose-horns were partially fused into a single long structure with a forked tip, which may have been used for sparring in a similar manner to the antlers of modern deer.

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Meanwhile on a different branch of the ruminant family tree, closer related to deer and giraffes, a group known as the palaeomerycids independently developed a similar sort of extra head appendage – but at the opposite end of their skulls.

These ruminants were a little more heavily built than the protoceratids, and specialized in feeding on soft vegetation in humid forest environments. They were a highly successful group, existing for almost 30 million years, ranging across Eurasia, Africa, and North America, and even ventured into South America during the early phases of the Great American Interchange.

Males had two giraffe-like ossicones above their eyes, along with a third crest-like one at the very back of their heads. In some species this formed a single central "horn" shape, while in others it forked out to each side. They also often had long saber-like canine teeth similar to modern water deer and musk deer, which were probably used for fighting while their elaborate headgear was purely for visual display.

Xenokeryx amidalae lived in Spain during the mid Miocene, about 16 million years ago. It stood around 0.8-1m tall at the shoulder (2'7"-3′3″) and had a unique T-shaped "handlebar" crest which ended up inspiring its species name – a reference to the similar shape of one of Queen Amidala's headpieces in Star Wars, which was itself based on Mongolian imperial fashion.

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1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

I love a pretty coffee mug. I’m interested in drinking all things and eating most things out of a coffee mug. I have like 15 of them and I will be buying more probably bc I’m an adult and that means no one can stop me, not even myself. 

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

I like to sit on the couch with my legs dangling over the arm and my back flat against the couch cushions. And then I just close my eyes and sit alone with my thoughts for a minute. 

55. favorite fairy tale?

Ooh it’s a German fairytale called der Mond. I remember reading it in German class in high school and loving it. It’s about moon stealing, which is pretty rad. 

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Those little nubs on top of a giraffe’s head? They’re called ossicones. 

MASAI GIRAFFE Child’s hand for size comparison Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi ©Laura Quick

Did you know the giraffe’s tongue is black? The Masai giraffe relies on its long, muscular tongue for reaching between long thorns to feed on tender tree leaves and twigs. Here shown for scale is a child’s hand holding the browse. Masai giraffes are from Kenya and have patterns that look like blotches. Masai in Swahili translates to “spotted.” Each giraffe has a distinctive pattern like a fingerprint. Both male and female giraffes have two distinct, hair-covered horns called ossicones — which may be the vestige remains of what had been antlers. Giraffes browse for food for 16 – 20 hours a day and only need 5 – 30 minutes of sleep in a 24-hour period.

Other posts you might like:

Giraffe Drinking

Giraffe Portrait

OKAPI Okapia johnstoni ©Laura Quick

As a kid we were gifted The Big Book of Animals. It was filled with animals beyond my suburban American imagination. I was especially entranced by the okapi. I pronounced this it as OAK-a-pee not knowing better and only recently learned it’s pronounced o-COP-ee. These are shy forest dwellers native to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Although the okapi has striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is most closely related to the giraffe.

The okapi stands about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall at the shoulder and has a typical body length around 2.5 m (8.2 ft). Its weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg (440 to 770 lb). It has a long neck, and large, flexible ears. Its coat is a chocolate to reddish brown, much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs, and white ankles. Males have short, hair-covered, horn-like protuberances  on their heads called ossicones, less than 15 cm (6 in) in length.

Other posts you might like:

Okapi

Baby Okapi