Family †Hyrachyidae | Rank Genus | |
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Similar Amynodontidae, Hyracodontidae, Hyracodon, Heptodon, Ceratomorpha | ||
Hyrachyus affinis speedpaint
Hyrachyus (from Hyrax and Ancient Greek: ὗς "pig") is an extinct genus of perissodactyl mammal that lived in Eocene Europe, North America and Asia. Its remains have also been found in Jamaica. It is closely related to Lophiodon.
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Description
The 1.50 m (5 ft) long beast was related to palaeotheres, and suspected to be the ancestor of modern tapirs and rhinoceroses. Physically, it would have looked very similar to modern tapirs, although it probably lacked the tapir's characteristic proboscis. Its teeth, however, resembled those of a rhino, supporting the idea of its relationship with that group.
References
Hyrachyus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA