Gelocidae

The Gelocidae are an extinct group of hornless ruminantia that are estimated to have lived during the Eocene and Oligocene epochs, from 36 MYA to 6 MYA. The family generally includes extinct hornless ruminants which do not belong to similar families such as Moschidae (musk deer) or Tragulidae. Fossils of family Gelocidae have been discovered in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.

Gelocidae
Temporal range: Eocene–Late Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Pecora
Family: †Gelocidae
Genera
  • Phaneromeryx
  • Paragelocus
  • Paragelocus
  • Gelocus
  • Pseudogelocus
  • Prodremotherium
  • Cryptomeryx
  • Pseudoceras
  • Gobiomeryx
  • Rutitherium
  • Eumeryx

Description

Members of the family Gelocidae were long-legged, even-toed ungulates adapted for running and grazing. The Gelocidae likely share a close common ancestor with Moschidae and were of a similar size and shape. They had similar dentition and proportions to members of Moschidae, but lacked the sabre-like tusks of the modern musk deer.

Bibliography

Webb, S. D.; Taylor, B. E. (31 December 1980). "The phylogeny of hornless ruminants and a description of the cranium of Archaeomeryx". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 167: 117–158. Retrieved 21 July 2016.

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