Yaklamnus

Yaklamnus is a fictional genus of small, mountain-dwelling herbivorous mammals described in speculative paleontological literature and worldbuilding resources. It is not part of real-world taxonomy and has no recognized fossil material outside of fictional contexts.

The name Yaklamnus combines an allusion to the yak with a common mammalian-genera suffix, and in in-world classification it is placed near bovids within Artiodactyla, though no real authority recognizes it.

Adults are about 0.8 meters at the shoulder, with a body length of 1.3–1.6 meters. They have dense gray-brown fur, a stocky build, and a pair of curved horns in males that measure roughly 20–30 cm; females have shorter horns. They are generally robust but nimble, adapted to rugged terrain.

In-world Yaklamnus inhabits montane grasslands and rocky outcrops on the fictional continent of Altaria, at elevations from 1800 to 3200 meters. They form small to medium herds and feed on grasses, sedges, and low shrubs. Seasonal migrations and territory marking are described behaviors.

The genus is said to have a fossil record in late Miocene to early Pleistocene deposits, with sites such as the Sedir Basin and North Range of Altaria cited in worldbuilding sources. Reported extinction in the mid-to-late Pleistocene in the fictional record.

The genus comprises two described species: Yaklamnus montanus, the montane form with longer horns, and Yaklamnus vallensis, a valley-adapted, smaller-bodied species.