Ancylotherium

Taxobox
name = "Ancylotherium"


fossil_range = Late Miocene to Middle Pliocene
status = Fossil
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Perissodactyla
familia = Chalicotheriidae
genus = "Ancylotherium"
species = "A. hennigi"
binomial = "Ancylotherium hennigi"

Ancylotherium (from Greek, meaning "hooked beast") was one of the last surviving chalicotheres, living 6.5 million to 2 million years ago, during the late Miocene and for most of the Pliocene.

Description

At two meters high at the shoulder, "Ancylotherium" was relatively large, and was built rather like a goat. Like other chalicotheres, it had long forelimbs and short hind limbs. However, unlike most other chalicotheres, it did not walk on its knuckles. It was similar to the North American genus "Moropus".

"Ancylotherium"'s habitat was the savannahs of East and South Africa. As an herbivore, it was designed to browse on vegetation on the trees in the grassy savannahs of Africa.

"Ancylotherium"'s closest relatives are the other perissodactyls, or "odd-toed" ungulates, including the extinct brontotheres and modern-day mammals such as horses, tapirs, and rhinos.

Fossils

Fossil remains of "Ancylotherium" have been found at many of the hominid fossil sites in East and South Africa, including sites in Laetoli, Olduvai and Omo.

In popular culture

*"Ancylotherium" appears in the BBC's series "Walking with Beasts", where CG animation was used to recreate extinct creatures of the Cenozoic era.

References

* Haines, Tim, and Paul Chambers. The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life. Canada: Firefly Books Ltd., 2006.

ee also

*"Moropus" (a North American chalicothere)

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/451.shtml BBC Science and News]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/factfiles/factfiles/ancylotherium.htm Fact File description]