Chalicotheriidae
Chalicotheriidae (from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khálix), meaning "gravel", and θηρίον (theríon), meaning "beast") is an extinct family of herbivorous, perissodactyl mammals. Unlike living odd-toed ungulates, chalicotheriids bore large claws rather than hooves, although their dentition was adapted for browsing. The family is known from the Oligocene to the Pleistocene, reached its greatest diversity in the Miocene, and is known from Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. Asia appears to have been the main centre of diversification for the group.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- History of discovery
- Description and functional morphology
- Skull and dentition
- Forelimbs, claws, and stance
- Hindlimbs and posture
- Subfamily contrasts
- Palaeobiology
- Diet
- Locomotion and feeding posture
- Habitat
- Possible behaviour
- Systematics and taxonomy
- Genera
- Fossil record and palaeobiogeography
- Evolution
- References
Chalicotheriidae (from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khálix), meaning "gravel", and θηρίον (theríon), meaning "beast") is an extinct family of herbivorous, perissodactyl mammals. Unlike living odd-toed ungulates, chalicotheriids bore large claws rather than hooves, although their dentition was adapted for browsing. The family is known from the Oligocene to the Pleistocene, reached its greatest diversity in the Miocene, and is known from Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. Asia appears to have been the main centre of diversification for the group.
Chalicotheriids are usually divided into two subfamilies, Chalicotheriinae and Schizotheriinae, which differed in the skull, teeth and limbs. Chalicotheriines generally had much longer forelimbs than hindlimbs and are usually interpreted as more specialised browsers of wooded habitats, whereas schizotheriines had more even limb proportions and appear to have occupied a broader range of environments. Derived schizotheriines also developed the distinctive fused phalanges known as the duplex bone.