''Samotherium'' ("beast of Samos") is an extinct genus of Giraffidae from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

and

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. ''Samotherium'' had two ossicones on its head, and long legs. The ossicones usually pointed upward, and were curved backwards, with males having larger, more curved ossicones, though in the Chinese species, ''S. sinense'', the straight ossicones point laterally, not upwards. The genus is closely related to '' Shansitherium''. Fossil evidence suggests that ''Samotherium'' had a rounded muzzle, which would suggest a grazing lifestyle and a habitat composed of grassland. One common predator of this animal was the '' Amphimachairodus''. Biologist Richard Ellis has proposed that the skull of ''Samotherium'' is portrayed on an ancient Greek vase as a monster that

Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

is fighting. However, other authors have argued that it is more likely to be the skull of a monitor lizard instead.

Description

A 2015 study found that ''Samotherium'' had a neck intermediate in length between the giraffe and the okapi, judging from examination of specimens of ''S. major'' from Greece.

References

Prehistoric giraffes Prehistoric Artiodactyla genera Miocene Artiodactyla Pliocene Artiodactyla Neogene mammals of Asia Transitional fossils Fossil taxa described in 1888 Taxa named by Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub