Chalicotherium

Chalicotherium, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khálix), meaning "gravel", and θηρίον (theríon), meaning "beast", is a genus of extinct odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla and family Chalicotheriidae. The genus is known from Europe and Asia,^[1] from the Middle Miocene to Late Miocene, 15.9~5.3 million years ago.^[2]

Chalicotherium Temporal range: Middle to Late Miocene, 15.9–5.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Teeth of C. goldfussi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Suborder:	†Ancylopoda
Family:	†Chalicotheriidae
Subfamily:	†Chalicotheriinae
Genus:	†Chalicotherium Kaup, 1833
Type species
†Chalicotherium goldfussi Kaup, 1833
Species
See text
Synonyms
Macrotherium Lartet, 1837

This animal would look much like other chalicotheriid species: an odd-looking herbivore with long clawed forelimbs and stouter weight-bearing hindlimbs.

The type species, Chalicotherium goldfussi, from Late Miocene Europe, was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1833. When the French naturalist George Cuvier first received a cleft claw from Eppelheim, Germany, he identified it as the toe bone of a gigantic pangolin.^[1]

Description

Life restoration of C. brevirostris

Chalicotherium, like many members of Perissodactyla, was adapted to browsing, though the chalicotheres were uniquely adapted to do so among ungulates. Its arms were long and heavily clawed, allowing them to walk on their knuckles only. The arms were used to reach for the branches of large trees and bring them close to its long head to strip them clean of leaves. The horse-like head itself shows adaptation to a diet of soft vegetation, since, as the animal reached sexual maturity, the incisors and upper canines were shed, suggesting that its muscular lips and the resulting gum pads were enough to crop fodder which was then processed by squarish, low-crowned molars.

Callosities on the ischium imply that these animals would sit on their haunches for extended periods of time, probably while feeding. Pad-supporting bony growth on the dorsal side of the manual phalanges is interpreted as evidence of knuckle-walking, which would probably be useful to avoid wearing down the claws, preserving them for use as either as a forage-collecting rake or as formidable defensive weapons, or both.

All of these characteristics show some convergence with such other creatures as ground sloths, great apes, bears (especially giant pandas), and a group of theropod dinosaurs known as therizinosaurs.

Classification

Taxonomic history

Chalicotherium goldfussi jaw

The type specimens for Chalicotherium goldfussi were found in the Upper Miocene strata of the Dinotherien-sande beds near Eppelsheim, in the Grand Duchy of Hesse, Germany. Johann Jakob Kaup, when describing this new animal in 1833, found the teeth to be pebble-like and named the creature accordingly. Later on, limbs found in strata located at Sansan in the department of Gers, Southwestern France, were first described as Macrotherium by Édouard Lartet in 1837. Further study of these fossil remains and subsequent finds by Filhol warranted a referral of the material described as Macrotherium to Chalicotherium.^[3]

Referral history for each species is detailed in the species list below along with morphological and geographical data where available.

Species

Valid

• Chalicotherium goldfussi (J.J. Kaup, 1833)

The chalicothere type species, was found in upper Miocene fossil beds located in Germany. It weighed around 1500 kg and was 2.6 m high at the shoulder.^{[citation needed]}

• Chalicotherium brevirostris (Colbert, 1934)

First described as Macrotherium brevirostris, this species is from the upper Miocene Tung Gur Formation, Inner Mongolia, China.

• Chalicotherium salinum (Pickford, 1982)

First described as Macrotherium salinum by Forster Cooper, this species was first discovered at the lower Pliocene / lower Siwaliks beds in India; its chronological and geographic range was later extended to the middle and upper Miocene, and to Pakistan and China, respectively.^[4]

Invalid

• Chalicotherium antiquum (J.J. Kaup, 1833)

Found at the same place as the type species and initially assigned as a separate species of chalicothere, but later determined deficient in distinctive diagnostic features, and merged into the type species C. goldfussi.

Misassigned specimens

• Chalicotherium cf. C. brevirostris (Wang et al., 2001)

From the Tsaidam Basin, northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

• "Chalicotherium modicum" (Stehlin, 1905)

A nomen nudum given to a tooth that was later identified as from a different chalicothere: Schizotherium priscum.

• "Chalicotherium bilobatum" (Cope)

From the Oligocene in Saskatchewan, this very fragmentary specimen was the type on which Russel erected the genus Oreinotherium.

• Chalicotherium spp.

Specimens found at two sites in Tajikistan, thought to include at least two different species.

See also

• Paleontology portal

• Anisodon
• Moropus