Palaeomerycidae

Palaeomerycidae is an extinct family of ruminants (thus being even-toed ungulates of order Artiodactyla), probably ancestral to deer and musk deer. They lived in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia from the Eocene to Miocene epoch 55.8 to 5.3 Ma, existing for approximately 50.5 million years.

The oldest specimens are of Amphitragulus and found in Aragon, Spain, Ronheim, Germany, and Kazakhstan estimated at 55.8—23.03 Ma. Barbouromeryx was discovered in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska and estimated at 23.03 million years. Palaeomerycidae continued to live in the Old World with fossils of Lagomeryx and Palaeomeryx feignouxi recovered in Germany and Slovakia from the Middle Eocene. In North America Cranioceras and other Dromomerycinae continued to live until the Late Miocene.