Anthracotherium

Anthracotherium magnum

Resurrected on:

5 jan. 2021

Genus information

Anthracotherium is a genus of primitive ungulate and belonged to the family of Anthracotheriidae. It is the most thoroughly examined species after which its family is named. The genus varied in size, containing both large and small species and lived during the Eocene and Oligocene epoch. Anthracotherium probably went extinct during the beginning of the Miocene epoch, probably by both climatic changes and competition with other artiodactyls.

Family:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Anthracotheriidae

Eurasia

Eocene to Oligocene

Species information

Anthracotherium magnum is the type species of the genus and fossils have been found in France, Italy and Switzerland. It lived during the Eocene and Oligocene epoch and probably inhabited wet forests and swamps. The species could grow up to two meters in length and weighted about 250 kg. It probably fed on roots and aquatic vegetation.

Species:

Paleontologist:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Anthracotherium magnum

Cuvier, 1822

Europe

Eocene

Length:

Height:

Weight:

2.0 m

90 cm

250 kg

Reference:

H. F. Osborn and J. L. Wortman. 1894. Fossil mammals of the Lower Miocene White River beds. Collection of 1892. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 6(7):199-228