Pelorovis

Pelorovis ("prodigious/monstrous sheep") is an extinct genus of African bovines which existed during the Pleistocene epoch. Originally believed to be a giant member of Caprinae, related to modern sheep, it is now known to be a relative of cattle and buffalos. The best known and type species is Pelorovis oldowayensis, from the Early Pleistocene of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, though two others, P. turkanensis and P. howelli, are currently recognised. A fourth, P. praeafricanus, may exist, or it may represent the same species as P. oldowayensis. "Pelorovis" antiquus, from the Late Pleistocene-Holocene, and "P." kaisensis, have since been moved into Syncerus, the same genus as living African buffalo.

In many respects, Pelorovis resembles the modern cattle genus, Bos, and has been compared morphologically to aurochsen (Bos primigenius). It has been suggested that they represent the same genus, in which case Pelorovis would be a junior synonym of Bos, though this has been challenged. Assuming they are distinct genera, Pelorovis may be distinguished by having a elongated face and very long, half-moon-shaped horns. It was fairly sexually dimorphic, with males having longer and slightly straighter horns, though horn length and size also differed between species. Pelorovis species grew larger as they evolved: P. howelli had a hornspan of 1 m (3.3 ft), while adult males of P. oldowayensis had a larger hornspan of around 1.8 m (5.9 ft).

Pelorovis was likely a grazer. This was particularly true of P. oldowayensis, which had a broader snout than earlier P. turkanensis, suggesting a greater specialisation for grazing. Tooth wear patterns suggest that it occasionally fed on other plants, which may point towards seasonal dietary shifts.