Chalicotherioidea
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Chalicotherioidea is an extinct group of clawed perissodactyls that lived from the early Eocene to the Pleistocene subepochs. It began and thrived largely in Eurasia, based on the fossil record, although specimens have been found in both Africa and North America. They were likely browsers that fed mainly on leaves, twigs, and other nonresistant vegetation.
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Chalicotherium | Moropus |
Chalicotherium
phylum | Chordata | Chalicotherium, like many members of Perissodactyla, was adapted to browsing, though uniquely adapted to do so among its ungulate relatives. Its arms were long and heavily clawed, allowing them to walk on their knuckles only. The arms were used to reach for high branches and bring them close to its short-faced head to strip them clean of leaves.
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class | Mammalia | |
infraclass | Eutheria | |
order | Perissodactyla | |
suborder | †Ancylopoda | |
family | †Chalicotheriidae | |
genus | Chalicotherium | |
Temporal range | Late Oligocene–Early Pliocene |
Moropus
phylum | Chordata | Like other chalicotheres ("odd-toed"), Moropus differed from their modern relatives in having large claws, rather than hooves, on the front feet; these claws may have been used for defense or digging for food. Moropus stood about 8 feet (2.4 m) tall at the shoulder. The three highly compressed claw-like hooves on each foot were split down the middle.
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Chalicotherioidea |
class | Mammalia | |
infraclass | Eutheria | |
order | Perissodactyla | |
suborder | †Ancylopoda | |
family | †Chalicotheriidae | |
genus | Moropus | |
Temporal range | Early miocene |