| Dicrocerus Temporal range: Miocene | |
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| An artist's illustration of Dicrocerus elegans | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Genus: | †Dicrocerus Lartet 1837 |
| Species: | †D. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| †Dicrocerus elegans Lartet 1837 | |
Dicrocerus (meaning "Fork Antler") is an extinct species of deer found in France, Europe (related species in Asia). Dicrocerus probably came from Asia, from the region where true deer are believed to have originated and evolved. It inhabited forests in the temperate belt and in Europe it was typical of the Miocene (10-5 million years ago). It died out at the beginning of Pliocene without leaving any descendants.
Dicrocerus stood 70 centimeters (2 feet 4 inches) tall at the shoulder - the same size as the modern roe deer. Its long skull sported a set of antlers with a thickened base - the first known member of cervids to possess them. The antlers were still quite primitive and had no tines; they were worn only by the males. Like modern deer, Dicrocerus shed its antlers every year. The main stem was shorter in each new set. The same is seen in modern muntjacs. In addition to antlers, Dicrocerus also had well-developed molar teeth, unlike some other early deer, such as Palaeomeryx.
