Thursday, November 11, 2010

Arsinoitherium


Arsinoitherium was an early, rhinoceros-like mammal that lived during the early Oligocene (about 38 to 23 million years ago). Although it looked like a rhinoceros, it is more closely related to elephants. Fossils of Arsinoitherium have been found in Faiyum, Egypt. 

Anatomy: Arsinoitherium was a large quadruped that had 5-toed feet and a small brain. It had 2 huge, conical, hollow horns made of bone on its snout. It was about 11.5 feet (3.5 m) long and about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall at the shoulder. 

Diet: Arsinoitherium was an herbivore, a plant-eater. It may have grazed in forests near rivers. 

Classification: Class Mammalia (mammals), Subclass Theria, Infraclass Eutheria (placental mammals) Order Embrithopoda, Family Arsinoitheriidae, Genus Arsinoitherium.

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