In Depth Mendozahippus is a mammal genus that lived in South America during the Oligocene. Further Reading - Mendozahippus fierensis, gen. et sp. nov., new Notohippidae (Notoungulata) from the Late Oligocene of Mendoza (Argentina). - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(6):1805-1817. - E. Cerde�o & B. Vera -2010.
In Depth A symmetrodont mammal from the Early Cretaceous of China, Maotherium would have been a small predatory of insects. Maotherium was named after the Chinese politician Mao Zedong. Further Reading - A new symmetrodont mammal with fur impressions from the Mesozoic of China. - Acta Geologica Sinica 77(1):7-14. - G. W. Rougier, Q. Ji … Read more
In Depth The type genus of the Hyrachyidae, Hyrachyus usually considered to be an ancient relative of the tapirs. Hyrachyus would have been an average sized herbivore for its time, and may have been hunted by other types of mammals such as mesonychids. Further Reading - Oldest West Indian Land Mammal: Rhinocerotoid Ungulate from the … Read more
In Depth At first glance the lack of fossils might make Branisella not seem an important primate, but here you need to appreciate two things; where the fossils have been found and how old they are. Dating to the Chattian stage of the Oligocene period about twenty-six million years ago, Branisella was and at the … Read more
In Depth Protypotherium might have looked like a long legged rabbit, but it was actually a notoungulate, a group of mammals unrelated to rabbits. The biggest confusion about Protypotherium is regarding its diet since it possesses all forty-four mammalian teeth, yet no real specialisation towards a specific diet. While Protypotherium is usually interpreted as being … Read more
In Depth Every now and then in palaeontology an animal comes along that just doesn’t seem like it should have existed at all. Macrauchenia is one such individual creature due to a very bizarre mix body features that have ended up in a mix-match of different creature parts. To begin first imagine a four legged … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - Pliocene Bovidae (Mammalia) from the Hadar Formation of Hadar and Ledi-Geraru, Lower Awash, Ethiopia, Denis Geraads, Ren� Bobe & Kaye Reed - 2012.
In Depth Chalicotherium is the type genus of the Chalicotheriidae, strange herbivores that look like hybrids between horses and ground sloths. The horse comparison comes from the shape of the head that is similar in form and proportion to that of a horse, while the body is supported upon two long front limbs and two … Read more
In Depth Jeholodens was a small triconodont mammal that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Triconodont mammals like Jeholodens are so named because they have three cusps on the crowns of their teeth. Jeholodens is noted for having bone developments that were fairly advance for mammals during its time of the early Cretaceous. Some … Read more
In Depth Along with the type genus Borophagus, Aelurodon is one of the better known of the so called ‘bone crushing dogs’ of the Borophaginae. Canids like Aelurodon got their nickname from the form of their short snouts which have also been described as hyena-like. Because of their shortness, the snout force food towards the … Read more