Megaherbivore
Megafauna subgroup / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Megaherbivores (Greek μέγας megas "large" and Latin herbivora "herbivore"[1]) are large herbivores that can exceed 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) in weight. They first appeared 300 million years ago in the early Permian, in the form of synapsids. They were then replaced by megaherbivorous dinosaurs that went extinct in the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. After this period, small mammalian species evolved into large herbivores in the Paleogene. During the Quaternary Extinction Event, megaherbivores disappeared on most continents on Earth. Recent megaherbivores include elephants, rhinos, hippos, and giraffes. There are nine extant species of terrestrial megaherbivores living in Africa and Asia. The African bush elephant is the largest extant species.
Extant megaherbivores are keystone species in their environment. They defoliate the landscape and spread a greater number of seeds than other frugivores. Extant megaherbivores, like most large mammals, are K-selected species. They are characterized by their large size, relative immunity to predation, their effect on plant species, and their dietary tolerance.