page_title: Giraffidae
section_title: Classification
hierarchical_section_title: Giraffidae / Taxonomy / Classification
context_page_description: The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a common ancestor with cervids and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe and the okapi. Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones.
context_section_description: Below is the total taxonomy of valid extant and fossil taxa (as well as junior synonyms which are listed in the brackets).
  Family Giraffidae J.E.Gray, 1821
  Basal extinct giraffids
  †Csakvarotherium Kretzoi, 1930
  †Csakvarotherium hungaricum Kretzoi, 1930
  †Injanatherium Heintz, Brunet & Sen, 1981
  †Injanatherium arabicum Morales, Soria & Thomas, 1987
  †Injanatherium hazimi Heintz, Brunet & Sen, 1981
  †Propalaeomeryx Lydekker, 1883 [Progiraffa Pilgrim, 1908]
  †Propalaeomeryx sivalensis Lydekker, 1883 [Progiraffa exigua Pilgrim, 1908]
  †Shansitherium Killgus, 1922 [Schansitherium [sic]]
  †Shansitherium quadricornis (Bohlin, 1926) [Palaeotragus quadricornis Bohlin, 1926]
  †Shansitherium tafeli Killgus, 1922
  †Umbrotherium Abbazzi, Delfino, Gallai, Trebini & Rook, 2008
  †Umbrotherium azzarolii Abbazzi, Delfino, Gallai, Trebini & Rook, 2008
  Subfamily †Canthumerycinae Hamilton, 1978
  †Georgiomeryx Paraskevaidis, 1940
  †Georgiomeryx georgalasi Paraskevaidis, 1940
  †Canthumeryx Hamilton 1973 [Zarafa Hamilton, 1973]
  †Canthumeryx sirtensis Hamilton 1973 [Zarafa zelteni Hamilton, 1973]
  Subfamily Giraffinae J.E.Gray, 1821
  Tribe Giraffini J.E.Gray, 1821
  Subtribe Giraffina J.E.Gray, 1821
  Giraffa Brisson, 1762 [Camelopardalis von Schreber, 1784 and Orasius Oken, 1816]
  Giraffa camelopardalis super-complex (Linnaeus, 1758)
  Giraffa giraffa complex (von Schreber, 1784)
  Giraffa angolensis Lydekker, 1903 – Angolan giraffe
  Giraffa giraffa (von Schreber, 1784) – South African giraffe
  Giraffa tippelskirchii complex Matschie, 1898
  Giraffa thornicrofti Lydekker, 1911 – Rhodesian giraffe
  Giraffa tippelskirchii Matschie, 1898 – Masai giraffe
  Giraffa reticulata de Winton, 1899 – Reticulated giraffe
  Giraffa camelopardalis complex (Linnaeus, 1758)
  Giraffa peralta Thomas, 1898 – West African giraffe
  Giraffa antiquorum Jardine & Swainson, 1835 – Kordofan giraffe
  Giraffa camelopardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) – Northern giraffe
  Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi Lydekker, 1903 – Rothschild's giraffe
  Giraffa camelopardalis camelopardalis (Linnaeus, 1758) – Nubian giraffe
  †Giraffa jumae Leakey, 1967
  †Giraffa priscilla Pilgrim, 1911
  †Giraffa punjabiensis Pilgrim, 1911
  †Giraffa pygmaea Harris, 1976
  †Giraffa sivalensis (Falconer & Cautley, 1843) [Camelopardalis sivalensis Falconer & Cautley, 1843 and Camelopardalis affinis Falconer & Cautley, 1843]
  †Giraffa stillei (Dietrich, 1942) [Okapia stillei Dietrich, 1942 and Giraffa gracilis Arambourg, 1947]
  Subtribe †Bohlinina Solounias, 2007
  †Bohlinia Matthew, 1929
  †Bohlinia adoumi Likius, Vignaud & Brunet, 2007
  †Bohlinia attica (Gaudry & Lartet, 1856) [Giraffa attica (Gaudry & Lartet, 1856) and Orasius attica (Gaudry & Lartet, 1856)]
  †Bohlinia nikitiae Kostopoulos, Koliadimou & Koufos, 1996
  †Honanotherium Bohlin, 1926
  †Honanotherium bernori Solounias & Danowitz, 2016
  †Honanotherium schlosseri (Pilgrim, 1911) [Giraffa schlosseri Pilgrim, 1911]
  Tribe Palaeotragini Pilgrim, 1910
  Subtribe †Palaeotragina Pilgrim, 1910
  †Giraffokeryx Pilgrim, 1910
  †Giraffokeryx anatoliensis Geraads & Aslan, 2003
  †Giraffokeryx primaevus (Churcher, 1970) [Palaeotragus primaevus Churcher, 1970; Samotherium africanum Churcher, 1970 and Amotherium africanum [sic]]
  †Giraffokeryx punjabiensis Pilgrim, 1910
  †Palaeogiraffa Bonis & Bouvrain, 2003
  †Palaeogiraffa macedoniae (Geraads, 1989) [Decennatherium macedoniae Geraads, 1989]
  †Palaeogiraffa major Bonis & Bouvrain, 2003
  †Palaeogiraffa pamiri (Ozansoy, 1965) [Samotherium pamiri Ozansoy, 1965]
  †Palaeotragus Gaudry, 1861 [Achtiaria Borissiak, 1914; Macedonitherium Sickenberg, 1967; Mitilanotherium Samson & Radulesco, 1966 and Sogdianotherium Sharapov, 1974]
  †Palaeotragus coelophrys (Rodler & Weithofer, 1890) [Alcicephalus coelophrys Rodler & Weithofer, 1890]
  †Palaeotragus germaini Arambourg, 1959
  †Palaeotragus inexspectatus (Samson & Radulesco, 1966) [Macedonitherium martinii Sickenberg, 1967; Mitilanotherium inexpectatum Samson & Radulesco, 1966; Mitilanotherium kuruksaense (Sharapov, 1974); Mitilanotherium martinii (Sickenberg, 1967); Palaeotragus priasovicus Godina & Bajgusheva, 1985 and Sogdianotherium kuruksaense Sh
caption: Skeletal illustration of Helladotherium, now extinct
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