Cainotheriidae

Cainotheriidae is an extinct family of artiodactyls known from the Late Eocene to Middle Miocene of Europe. They are mostly found preserved in karstic deposits.

These animals were small in size, and generally did not exceed in height at the shoulders, ranging in size from those of rabbits to tragulids. For a long time, they were considered to have a similar lifestyle to hares and rabbits. The dentition was full and highly selenodont, i.e. the premolars and molars had curved and crescent-shaped cutting edges (as in today's ruminants). The skull was small, with a short snout and orbits closed posteriorly placed at the center of the skull.