Eobasileus

E-o-ba-sil-e-us.
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Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

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Name

Eobasileus ‭(‬Dawn emperor‭)‬.

Phonetic

E-o-ba-sil-e-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Dinocerata,‭ ‬Uintatheriidae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

E.‭ ‬cornutus‭

Size

Up to‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters long,‭ ‬2.1‭ ‬meters high at the shoulder.

Known locations

USA.

Time Period

Lutetian of the Eocene.

Fossil representation

Few specimens.

In Depth

       With three pairs of short blunt horns on top its skull and two tusks that pointed down from the upper jaw,‭ ‬Eobasileus looked remarkably‭ ‬similar to its close relative Uintatherium‭ (‬which is why unsurprisingly it is a member of the Uintatheriidae‭)‬.‭ ‬With an upper size comparable to that of a large black rhinoceros‭ (‬Diceros bicornis‭)‬,‭ ‬Eobasileus was one of the largest animals in its habitat and when fully grown and probably did not have to worry too much about being attacked by the much smaller creodont predators of the time.

Further Reading

‭- ‬Notices of New Vertebrata from the Upper Waters of Bitter Creek, Wyoming Territory. – Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 12(86):483-486. – E. D. Cope – 1872. – Revision of the Uintatheres. – Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Bulletin 14: 5. – Walter H. Wheeler – 1961.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT