Mitilanotherium
| Mitilanotherium Temporal range: Pliocene to Pleistocene
| |
|---|---|
| An outline of Mitilanotherium | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Giraffidae |
| Genus: | †Mitilanotherium |
| Species | |
|
M. inexpectatum | |
Mitilanotherium is an extinct genus of giraffes from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Europe.
It was a medium-sized giraffid, resembling the modern okapi, with two long ossicones directly above its eyes, and relatively long and slender limbs. Fossils have been found in Greece, Romania, Ukraine, and Spain.[1]
Taxonomy
Some studies have suggested that Mitilanotherium is a junior synonym of Palaeotragus.[2]
References
- ^ Lyras, George; VandeGeer, A.A.E. (2007). "The Late Pliocene vertebrate fauna of Vatera (Lesvos Island, Greece)" (PDF). Cranium. 24 (2): 11–24. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
- ^ Athanassiou, Athanassios (2014). "New girafid (Artiodactyla) material from the Lower Pleistocene locality of Sésklo (SE Thessaly, Greece): evidence for an extension of the genus Palaeotragus into the Pleistocene". Zitteliana. 32: 71–89. doi:10.5282/UBM/EPUB.22388. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via Ludwigs-Maximilian-Universität.
- Classification of Mammals by Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell