Anoplotherium

An extinct genus of even-toed ungulates that lived in Europe during the Eocene epoch. Its species had distinctive low-crowned teeth and, in some forms, unusually long tails.

Artiodactyl: A hoofed mammal whose weight is borne mainly by the third and fourth toes. Anoplotherium belongs to this mammalian order, whose members share an even-toed limb plan.
Molar (tooth): A posterior tooth adapted primarily for crushing and grinding food. Anoplotherium’s molar form is central to interpreting its diet.
Anoplotherium commune: A species of Anoplotherium known from Eocene deposits in Europe. It is the type species and a principal reference for defining the genus.
Georges Cuvier: A French naturalist who established comparative anatomy as a foundation of paleontology. Cuvier studied and named Anoplotherium from fossil material found near Paris.
Eocene: A geological epoch lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago. Anoplotherium lived during this interval of warm climates and expanding mammal diversity.
Dental formula: A notation describing the number and types of teeth in each half of a mammal’s jaws. The genus’s unusual dental pattern helps distinguish it from many other ungulates.
Anoplotherium latipes: An extinct species of Anoplotherium identified from fossil remains. Its material contributes to the genus’s recognized species diversity.
Montmartre gypsum quarries: Historic quarries in Paris that exposed rich Eocene fossil deposits. Fossils from these quarries formed the basis of early descriptions of Anoplotherium.
Palaeotherium: An extinct genus of perissodactyl mammals from the Eocene of Europe. It was another large European mammal of the same epoch, but belonged to a different ungulate order.
Cursoriality: Anatomical and behavioral adaptation for sustained running. Limb proportions help assess how Anoplotherium moved across its habitat.

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AnoplotheriidaeBroader topic: This genus gives the family its name and includes its best-known forms.