other ium ▁eff ica x ▁and ▁an ▁ext inct ▁sister ▁tax on ▁to ▁C . ▁sim um . ▁It ▁retained ▁primitive ▁characters ▁contempor ane ously ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁progress ive ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁genus ▁Cer at other ium ▁in ▁eastern ▁and ▁southern ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁▁ ▁C . ▁ma ur itan icum ▁was ▁widely ▁distributed ▁across ▁north western ▁Africa ▁during ▁the ▁Qu atern ary , ▁and ▁often ▁associated ▁with ▁arch ae ological ▁sites . ▁Pet rog lyph s ▁in ▁northern ▁Africa ▁occasionally ▁dep ict ▁r hin oc eri ▁but ▁often ▁are ▁too ▁sch ematic ▁to ▁allow ▁a ▁distinction ▁of ▁the ▁figured ▁species . ▁Those ▁showing ▁characters ▁typical ▁of ▁the ▁white ▁r hin oc eros ▁may ▁in ▁fact ▁represent ▁C . ▁ma ur itan icum ▁instead ▁of ▁C . ▁sim um , ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁very ▁similar ▁in ▁external ▁appearance ▁in ▁life . ▁It ▁van ished ▁during ▁the ▁Mes ol ith ic ▁and ▁currently ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁evidence ▁that ▁it ▁eventually ▁surv ived ▁into ▁the ▁historical ▁era . ▁ ▁Pale o ec ology ▁▁ ▁C . ▁ma ur itan icum ▁is ▁supposed ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁an ▁e col ogy ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁ext ant ▁C . ▁sim um . ▁It ▁lived ▁in ▁open ▁sav ann ah ▁land sc apes ▁with ▁sufficient ▁water ▁and ▁veget ation , ▁a ▁bi ome ▁that ▁has ▁van ished ▁from ▁the ▁Mag h reb ▁since ▁the ▁Early ▁Hol oc ene . ▁Its ▁food ▁was ▁probably ▁domin ated ▁by ▁grass . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : P li