''Nesotragus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of dwarf

antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

comprising two species, endemic to Africa, and formerly but incorrectly considered a synonym of the similarly named genus ''

Neotragus ''Neotragus'' is a genus of dwarf antelope, native to Africa. The genus includes only a single species without any dispute, namely '' Neotragus pygmaeus''. This species, the royal antelope, is the smallest antelope in the world, usually weighing ...

''. Recent

nucleic acid Nucleic acids are large biomolecules that are crucial in all cells and viruses. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomer components: a pentose, 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main classes of nuclei ...

studies demonstrate that the two species of ''Nesotragus'' are not closely related to the genus ''Neotragus''. Members of the Nesotragus are the only members of the subfamily Nesotraginae or tribe Nesotragini and are more closely related to the

impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'', lit. 'black-footed high-horn' in Ancient Greek) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'', and tribe Aepycerotini, it ...

, while the

royal antelope The royal antelope (''Neotragus pygmaeus'') is a West African antelope recognized as the world's smallest. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It stands up to merely at the shoulder and weighs . A characteristic ...

remains a member of the subfamily

Antilopinae Antilopinae is a subfamily of even-toed ungulates in the family Bovidae. The members of tribe Antilopini are often referred to as true antelopes, and include the gazelles, blackbucks, springboks, gerenuks, dibatags, and Central Asian gazelles. ...

or tribe Antilopini. The scientific name comes from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

νῆσος (''nêsos''), "island", and τράγος (''trágos''), "he-goat", apparently in reference to the antelope species' habitat in wet rainforests.

References

Dwarf antelopes Mammal genera {{eventoedungulate-stub