Kingdom Animalia Order Hyracoidea Subfamily †Saghatheriinae Higher classification Pliohyracidae | Phylum Chordata Family †Pliohyracidae Species M. lavocati Rank Genus | |
Similar Titanohyrax, Pliohyrax, Kvabebihyrax, Paenungulata, Tree hyrax | ||
Megalohyrax is an extinct hyrax-grouped genus of herbivorous mammal from the Lower Oligocene, about 33–30 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in Africa and in Asia Minor.
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Description
This animal was very different from the current hyraxes and much larger, generally reaching the size of a tapir and sometimes exceeding 1.5 meters in length. The legs were strong and the body very massive. The skull was long and low, unlike that of today's hyraxes, and could reach 40 centimeters in length. The dental formula of Megalohyrax was composed of three incisors, one canine, four premolars and three molars.
Classification
It was first described by Andrews in 1903. The type species is Megalohyrax eocaenus, was found in the El Fayum area in Egypt. Other fossils attributed to this kind have been found in Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia.