The
skull decoration of
Syndyoceras looked quite unlike those of a deer. It had two pairs of
horns. The first was a V-shaped pair on the snout, fused at the base. The second pair was placed between the eyes and the ears and was curved inwards, the horns facing towards each other in a semicircular shape. Like
giraffe ossicones, these protrusions were covered with
skin. They were probably used for display and fighting. In addition to the horns,
Syndyoceras also possessed tusk-like canine teeth, that it may have used to root through soil and undergrowth for food, in a similar manner to a modern
musk deer. The shape of the skull also suggests that it may have had an inflated muzzle, like that of a modern
saiga. Like early
horses, such as
Merychippus, it had two
vestigial outer toes on each foot, which did not touch the ground. ==References==