The family generally includes ruminants with dental traits of both the Tragulina and Pecora, making it a notorious wastebasket taxon with unresolved affinities.

Members of the family Gelocidae were long-legged, even-toed ungulates adapted for running and grazing.

The Gelocidae likely share a close common ancestor with Moschidae and were of a similar size and shape.

They had similar dentition and proportions to members of Moschidae, but lacked the sabre-like tusks of the modern musk deer.

"The phylogeny of hornless ruminants and a description of the cranium of Archaeomeryx".