Palaeotragus fossil map
Where fossils of Palaeotragus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–0.0117 million years ago (Aquitanian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Giraffidae |
| Named by | Gaudry 1861 |
| Fossil records | 194 occurrences at 76 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Greece, China, Kenya, Ukraine, Türkiye, Moldova, Spain, Tunisia, Romania, Kazakhstan … |
| Rock formations | txn:42690, Bahe, Maboko, Nawata, Nawata or Nachukui, Poate |
About Palaeotragus
Palaeotragus ("ancient goat") is a genus of very large, primitive, okapi-like giraffids from the Miocene to Early Pleistocene of Africa and Eurasia.
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.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Palaeotragus (revision 1324593168), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q1189621.
