Giant Buffalo
Syncerus antiquus
📈🐃
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Pecora
Bovidae
Syncerus antiquus
The Giant Buffalo of the African Plains — Syncerus antiquus, also known as the African Giant Buffalo or the Cape Buffalo’s colossal ancestor, was one of the largest bovines to ever roam sub-Saharan Africa. It stood as a formidable grazer and a symbol of power in prehistoric savannas, sharing its range with early humans and megafaunal predators.
Description
African Giant Buffalo (Syncerus antiquus) — This extinct bovid species lived across Africa from the late Pleistocene into the early Holocene (~400,000 to 10,000 years ago). Closely related to the modern Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), it was much larger, with exceptionally long, thick horns spreading over 3 meters tip to tip. S. antiquus inhabited open grasslands and floodplains, often near water sources, grazing on tall grasses much like its modern relatives.
Its massive size—comparable to a small rhinoceros—helped it fend off most predators. Fossil evidence shows overlap with early humans (Homo sapiens and Homo heidelbergensis), who likely hunted it for meat and hide, contributing to its decline alongside changing climate and shrinking grassland habitats
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
2000
1.8
2.7
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Early humans, particularly Middle and Late Stone Age peoples, appear to have hunted S. antiquus using coordinated ambush tactics and stone-tipped spears. Its remains have been found alongside butchering marks and human tools, suggesting organized hunting rather than scavenging.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Klasies River Mouth, South Africa (~120,000 years ago): S. antiquus bones with cut marks found near hearths of early Homo sapiens.
Olorgesailie Basin, Kenya (~200,000 years ago): Acheulean tools associated with giant buffalo fossils, suggesting early Homo heidelbergensis predation.
Florispan Cave, South Africa (~40,000 years ago): Buffalo remains with stone flakes embedded in rib bones, direct evidence of human hunting.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
4000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
120
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow, mesenteric fat
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat, mesenteric, perirenal; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat & marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4