| Capra dalii Temporal range: Early Pleistocene
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Tribe: | Caprini |
| Genus: | Capra |
| Species: | †C. dalii
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Capra dalii Bukhsianidze & Vekua, 2006
| |
Capra dalii is a fossil species of goat discovered in Georgia in 2006.[1] It is named for the Georgian goddess Dali, who was considered the guardian of hoofed animals such as ibexes and goats.[2][3] Fragments of C. dalii fossils were first located at the Dmanisi archaeological site, and are believed to be related to the west Caucasian tur, Capra caucasica.[1] The species is believed to have existed during the Early Pleistocene, around 1.76 million years ago, making it the oldest known example of the Capra genus.[4]
Based on the fossil fragments found, C. dalii is believed to have been a large Capra species, with horns that curved outward. Its teeth are similar to those of Hemitragus orientalis, another fossil species.[5]
Some of the C. dalii fossil fragments are held in the National History collection at the Dmanisi Museum-Reserve, part of the Georgian National Museum.[6]