Numidocapra

Numidocapra is an extinct genus of bovid from the Pleistocene of Africa.

Numidocapra Temporal range: Early - Mid Pleistocene
Numidocapra crassicornis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Alcelaphinae
Genus:	†Numidocapra Arambourg, 1949[1]
Type species
Numidocapra crassicornis Arambourg, 1949
Species
N. arambourgi N. crassicornis N. porrocornutus
Synonyms
Rabaticeras

Taxonomy

Originally placed in the subfamily caprinae,^[2] Numidocapra is now generally classified as a member of the subfamily Alcelaphinae.^[3] Three species are considered valid. Numidocapra arambourgi was originally placed in its own genus, Rabaticeras. It was at one point considered an ancestor of the hartebeest, but this is not considered likely anymore. Another species, N. porrocornutus, was previously placed in Damaliscus.

Description

These bovids had narrow, tall skulls typical of alcelaphines. The braincase roof is sloping with a straight profile. Their horns were curved upwards and forwards at side view, with frontals slightly raised at the horn bases. Numidocapra crassicornis was the largest member of the genus, probably around the size of a wildebeest. It had long, upright horn cores that ran parallel to each other, while Numidocapra arambourgi was smaller and had diverging, twisted horns.^[4]