Chalicotheriidae | |
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Moropus elatus (Schizotheriinae) at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Perissodactyla |
Superfamily: | †Chalicotherioidea |
Family: | †Chalicotheriidae Gill, 1872[2] |
Type genus | |
†Chalicotherium Kaup, 1833
| |
Subfamilies | |
†Chalicotheriinae Gill, 1872 |
Chalicotheriidae (from Greek chalix, "gravel" and therion, "beast") is an extinct family of herbivorous, odd-toed ungulate (perissodactyl) mammals that lived in North America, Eurasia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene to the Early Pleistocene. They are often called chalicotheres, a term which is also applied to the broader grouping of Chalicotherioidea.[4] They are noted for their unusual morphology compared to other ungulates, such as their clawed forelimbs. Members of the subfamily Chalicotheriinae developed elongate gorilla-like forelimbs that are thought to have been used to grasp vegetation.[5] They are thought to have been browsers on foliage as well as possibly bark and fruit.[4]
Gill, 1872
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).