The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 10 (of 10)Beddard, Frank E. (Frank Evers)
Science
The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 10 (of 10)
Beddard, Frank E. (Frank Evers)
Animals; Mammals
The late Professor Cope, in 1874, described the probable appearance of the
_Coryphodon_ in the following words:--"The general appearance of the
Coryphodons, as determined by the skeleton {210} probably resembled the
bears more than any living animals, with the important exception that in
their feet they were much like the elephant. To the general proportions of
the bears must be added the tail of medium length. Whether they were
covered with hair or not is of course uncertain. Of their nearest living
allies, the elephants, some were hairy and others naked.... The movements
of the Coryphodons doubtless resembled those of the elephant in its
shuffling and ambling gait, and may have been even more awkward from the
inflexibility of the ankle."
The most recent members of this sub-order come from the Middle Eocene beds,
and are chiefly referable to the genus _Dinoceras_, with which _Tinoceras_
and _Uintatherium_ are at least very nearly related, if not identical.
These creatures were of great size, larger than the earlier types which
have been considered. They show a certain superficial resemblance to the
Titanotheriidae, on account of the massive horn cores upon the skull. These
horn cores are large upon the maxillae and the parietals, and are paired;
on the nasals are smaller horns. The bones of the skull have air cavities.
The incisors of the upper jaw are absent; the canines are enormous tusks,
and the lower jaws are flanged downwards near the symphysis where these
tusks border them. Contrary to what is found in the older types, where the
position of the condyle of the lower jaw is normal, this prominence faces
backwards in the Dinocerata. The same shortness of the spines of the dorsal
vertebrae prevails in this group as in the other Amblypoda, though it is
perhaps hardly so marked. The scapula has not the peculiar acuminate form
that exists in _Coryphodon_, but is triangular and broad above. The limbs
are elephantine, in that the angle between the humerus and the femur
respectively, and the bones which follow, is not marked. The hind-limbs are
especially straight. The tail is short as compared with that of the
primitive Amblypoda. The Dinocerata are purely digitigrade. The
entepicondylar foramen has, as in the Coryphodonts, disappeared. The os
centrale of the carpus has become fused, and no longer exists as a separate
bone. The fibula no longer articulates with the calcaneum, but both that
bone and the ulna are well developed. The genus _Astrapotherium_ is placed
among the Amblypoda by some authorities.[131]
{211}
SUB-ORDER 3. ANCYLOPODA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account