Brontotherium

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-	*[[Perissodactyla]] [[extinction|†]]<br />	+	*[[Perissodactyla]] <br />
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	'''Family'''		'''Family'''
-	*[[Brontotheriidae]] †<br />	+	*[[Brontotheriidae]] [[extinction|†]]<br />
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Current revision as of 03:13, 18 August 2006

Brontotherium ("thunder-beast"), not to be confused with the smaller Brontops ("thunder-face"), was a genus of large, extinct brontothere perissodactyl from the late Eocene of central North America. The typical Brontotherium resembled an enormous rhinoceros with a knobby, "Y"-shaped horn at the end of its nose, and was around two and a half meters (8 feet) at the shoulders. The beast's great height was enhanced due to the extra long spines of its dorsal vertebrae. Because of its simple teeth, and rhinoceros-like skull, it is believed that Brontotherium selectively browsed on soft twigs and tender leaves. The name is a reference to Sioux Indian legends, which spoke of "thunder horses" that lived in storm clouds, and whose corpses fell to earth after the rains had passed (when the bones were eroded out of the ground).

According to Mihlbachler et. al. 2005, Brontotherium was reassigned to the genus Megacerops.

Links

Picture of Brontotherium [1]

Pictures of B. gigas [2] [3]