Titanoides

Tie-tan-oy-deez.
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Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Name

Titanoides ‭(‬Titan like‭)‬.

Phonetic

Tie-tan-oy-deez.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Pantodonta,‭ ‬Titanoideidae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

T.‭ ‬primaevus‭

Size

Around‭ ‬3‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Canada and the USA.

Time Period

Selandian to Thanetian of the‭ Paleocene.

Fossil representation

Multiple specimens.

In Depth

       Titanoides was one of the larger and more heavily built pantodonts and is often described as being bear-like.‭ ‬However the large claws on the plantigrade feet as well as the large canine tusks that projected downwards from the mouth seem to have been for rooting up plants rather than actually attacking other animals.‭ ‬However these features combined with its large and powerful body meant that even though Titanoides was a herbivore,‭ ‬it could have bested most if not all of the mammalian predators of this period.

       One former of species of Titanoides called T.‭ ‬faberi,‭ ‬was later renamed as a new genus,‭ ‬Barylambda.

Further Reading

Further reading- Notice of new Paleocene mammal, a possible relative of the Titanotheres. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 52(2187):431-435. – J. W. Gidley – 1917.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT