top of page
Gelocidae
Gelocids
1
Number of resurrected species:
Family
Order
Class
Gelocidae
Artiodactyla
Mammalia
Description
The Gelocids are an extinct group of hoofed mammals that lived in North America, Eurasia and Africa between the Eocene and Pliocene. The average Gelocid was small in size, about the size of a modern Musk Deer, hornless and they developed long and slender legs that were made for running. They probably lived on open plains and fed on low vegetation.
Distribution & Fossil evidence
The family evolved during the Eocene of Eurasia from small, Chevrotain-like animals. During the Miocene and Pliocene, they also inhabited North and Central America. It is thought that some species (i.e. Prodremotherium) are the primitive ancestors of modern day ruminants, like giraffes.
Species
The rather small family consists of several species, but also includes several little-known forms and, therefore, has sometimes been considered to be a "waste basket".
Included genera
Prodremotherium
bottom of page