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Palaeotragus ("ancient goat") is a genus of very large, primitive, okapi-like giraffids from the Miocene to Early Pleistocene of Africa and Eurasia.
| Palaeotragus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skeletal mount, Tianjin Natural History Museum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Giraffidae |
| Genus: | †Palaeotragus [1] |
| Type species | |
| †Palaeotragus rouenii Gaudry, 1861 | |
| Species | |
| |
Palaeotragus primaevus is the older species, being found in early to mid-Miocene strata, while P. germaini is found in Late Miocene strata. P. primaevus is distinguished from P. germaini by the lack of ossicones. It was also the smaller species, being a little under 2 m (6 ft 7 in) at the shoulders. P. germaini had a pair of ossicones, and in life, it would have resembled either a short-necked, 3 m (9.8 ft) tall giraffe, or a gargantuan okapi.
Palaeotragus inexspectatus from the Early Pleistocene of Greece represents the youngest giraffid in Europe.[2]
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The genus consists of the following species:
- Palaeotragus decipiens
- Palaeotragus germaini
- Palaeotragus inexspectatus
- Palaeotragus microdon
- Palaeotragus primaevus
- Palaeotragus quadricornis
- Palaeotragus. rouenii
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