Dorcatherium

Dorcatherium is an extinct genus of tragulid ruminant which existed in Europe, East Africa, and the Siwaliks during the Miocene and possibly Pliocene.

Palaeoecology

D. naui was partially frugivorous, the evidence for this being its dental enamel's ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δ¹⁸O_CO3, and δ¹³C values. The dental microwear and mesowear of D. naui provides further evidence that it was a frugivorous browser. At the Middle Miocene site of Maboko in Kenya, D. pigotti displays relatively high δ¹³C values, probably indicative of feeding in less wooded environments than modern tragulids, while the δ¹³C values of D. chappuisi at the same site were even higher, suggesting a preference for even more open and arid habitats than D. pigotti.

References