Everything about Chalicothere totally explained
Chalicotheres (from
Greek chalix, gravel +
therion, beast) were a group of
perissodactyl mammals that evolved in the mid
Eocene around 40 million years ago from small, forest animals similar to the
early horses. Many chalicotheres, including such animals as
Moropus and
Chalicotherium, reached the size of a
horse. By the late
Oligocene, they'd divided into two groups: one that grazed in open areas and another that was more adapted to woodlands. They died out around 3.5 million years ago, and are related to the extinct
brontotheres, as well as modern day
horses,
rhinoceroses, and
tapirs.
Description
Unlike modern perissodactyls, chalicotheres had long forelimbs and short hind limbs. Consequently, Chalicotheres probably moved with most of their weight on their short, strong hind legs. Their front legs had long, curved claws which meant they probably walked on their knuckles.
Fossil remains have shown thick, developed front knuckles, much like those on
gorillas today. It was once thought that the claws were used to dig up roots and tubers, however, the wear on the claws and teeth don't suggest that they dug or ate dirt-rich foods such as tubers. The chalicotheres probably used their claws to strip vegetation from trees and to forage for food.
Chalicotheres didn't have front
teeth in their upper jaw, and their back teeth show little wear, suggesting that they probably were selective browsers.
Cryptozoology
Some
cryptozoologists have hypothesised that (the supposedly carnivorous)
cryptid from
Africa, the
Nandi Bear could be a chalicothere.
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