Brontothere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BrontotheresTemporal range: Eocene 56–34 mya
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Brontotherium hatcheri skeleton at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: |
†Brontotheriidae
Marsh, 1873
|
Brontotheres were amazing ancient mammals that are now extinct. They belonged to a group called the Brontotheriidae, also known as Titanotheriidae. This family of animals is part of an order called Perissodactyla.
This order includes animals you might know today, like horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs. Even though Brontotheres looked a lot like rhinos, they were actually more closely related to horses! They lived a very long time ago, from about 56 to 34 million years ago, during a period called the Eocene epoch.
What Were Brontotheres Like?
Later Brontotheres grew to be very large. Some were as tall as 2.5 meters (about 8 feet), which is taller than a basketball hoop! They also had strange, horn-like growths on their skulls. These weren't true horns like those on a cow or rhino, but bony growths that were part of their skull.
When Did Brontotheres Live?
Brontotheres lived during the Eocene epoch. This was a time when Earth's climate was much warmer than it is today. Many new types of mammals appeared during this period. Brontotheres were around for millions of years, but they eventually died out by the end of the Eocene. Scientists are still studying why these giant creatures disappeared.
See also
In Spanish: Brontotéridos para niños
