Hippocamelus fossil map
Where fossils of Hippocamelus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 2.58–0.0117 million years ago (Gelasian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Quaternary |
| Family | Cervidae |
| Named by | Leuckart 1816 |
| Fossil records | 8 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru |
| Rock formations | txn:42652, Luján |
About Hippocamelus
Hippocamelus is a genus of Cervidae, the deer family. It comprises two extant Andean and two fossil species. The living members are commonly known as the huemul (from the Mapuche language), and the taruca, also known as the northern huemul.
Both species have a stocky, thick, and short-legged body. They live at high altitudes in the summer. Though Taruca spend their whole life cycle at these high altitudes, especially as populations close to the equator, southern Huemul move down the mountains in the fall and spend the winter in sheltered forested valleys.
Areas with fresh water are preferred. They are herbivores that feed primarily on herbaceous plants and shrubs as well as sedges, lichens, and grasses found between the rocks on high peaks. They are active during the day and have a lifespan of about ten years.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hippocamelus (revision 1326814407), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q386536.
