Of Uintatheres, Brontotheres, Rhinos, and Arsinoitherium

[Bokisaurus]

Looking at the long history of life, there are some body plan/designs that has proven so successful and effective that it can be seen over and over again during the long process of evolution.
The familiar tank-like body design that we see in rhinos, hippos, and the likes, can be traced millions of year back. It is obviously a design that worked successfully for many species of animal, so much so, that unrelated groups share these designs (parallel evolution).
Let's take a look at some of these groups of fascinating prehistoric animals.

The Uintatheres
Were the largest land animals of their time. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of this group is the multiple blunt horns on their head, and the presence of large, sabre-like canine teeth. Despite their large size and heavy built, they have very small brains... not the smartest I guess. Their reign spanned the Paleocene to the Eocene. Some species in this group overlap with another giant, that one day would replace them, the Brontotheres.


The Brontotheres
They were another group of large rhino-like animals. They will soon dominate the landscape, replacing their Uintathere predecessors. The most distinctive feature of the group was their sexually dimorphic horns, which are actually bones and not keratin. Although superficially they look like rhinos, they are actually closer related to horses.
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Arsinoitherium
Was another large rhino-like animal, although it is more closely related to the elephants. The most distinguishable feature are the two large solid horns above the nose and two smaller ones on top of the head. They lived in tropical forest and around swamps. They may have also lived a semi-amphibious lifestyle similar to hippos. Arsinoitherium lived during the Eocens in Africa from 36 MYA.


The Rhinos
Were among the last of the giants mammals that once dominated the planet. Like the elephants, they ranged in size from small, to one of the largest land mammal that ever lived. Some have long horns, while others have none. The icon of the ice age, the Woolly rhino/ Coelodonta, lived in the frozen north, while its Elasmotherium cousin ranged further south. They were part of the Pleistocene mega fauna and were common in Europe and Asia. They were also the last ones to go extinct.
The giant Paraceratherium, was a gigantic hornless rhinoceros, the largest land mammal that ever lived. It lived in Asia and went extinct about 10 myo.
Today, there are five species of rhinos surviving, all highly endanger of extinction.
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Bonus:
The enduring tank-like (rhino-like?) body design through the ages... ( comparisons)




Enjoy

[SpittersForEver]

cool

[Ultimatedinoking]

Would a baby unintatheres knobs and tusks be that well developed?

[CityRaptor]

Was it really neccesary to quote the post just two posts above yours to ask that? The answer to that, aswell to your question is: No.

Also the Uintatheres are missing the Predators one, while the Arsinoitheres could need the Dinotales one.

[tyrantqueen]

Was it really neccesary to quote the post just two posts above yours to ask that? The answer to that, aswell to your question is: No.

Also the Uintatheres are missing the Predators one, while the Arsinoitheres could need the Dinotales one.

I agree. We have a "soft" rule against it: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=2207.0

[SBell]

Was it really neccesary to quote the post just two posts above yours to ask that? The answer to that, aswell to your question is: No.

Also the Uintatheres are missing the Predators one, while the Arsinoitheres could need the Dinotales one.

I agree. We have a "soft" rule against it: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=2207.0

This thread was just made nigh-unreadable in two posts...

And since it appears to be missing:


One of the versions anyway--there are two paint schemes.

Also:


(current paint scheme)

(original paint scheme)

[Paleogene Pals]

Quoting an entire post in a response makes it a pain to read through the thread. Just a friendly word of advice to make your readers happier.

[Paleogene Pals]

Oh, and I am sorry to say this, some of those uintathere figures are downright hideous, no offense.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Your all so mean! 

[CityRaptor]

Just edit your post to remove the quote. Makes this thread far better readable.

[tyrantqueen]

Your all so mean! 

That should be you're all so mean

[Ultimatedinoking]

 

Your all so mean! 

That should be you're all so mean

[CityRaptor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1-6coVVJ64

Just edit your post. You know, the one that quotes all those pictures.

Oh, and I am sorry to say this, some of those uintathere figures are downright hideous, no offense.

Well, it is not exactly the prettiest animal to begin with...makes me wonder how a Dinofroz Version of it would look like.

[tyrantqueen]

I don't understand the My Little Pony reference...

[Paleogene Pals]

UDK, I am a very mean person! Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time! 

[SBell]

Seriously? I'm going to be the one to remind people to go back on topic?

And UDK, we were simply pointing out an error. Learn for the future.

As for your question, buried somewhere in that post, there is no baby figure--the small one is part of the 3" series of PV prehistoric mammals. The big one is part of the...large figures. They are both meant to be Eobasileus (one of the few genus names to survive the great cleansing that came after Leidy, Cope, and Marsh went nuts giving different names to every unitathere fossil they found).

[Ultimatedinoking]

Seriously? I'm going to be the one to remind people to go back on topic?

And UDK, we were simply pointing out an error. Learn for the future.

As for your question, buried somewhere in that post, there is no baby figure--the small one is part of the 3" series of PV prehistoric mammals. The big one is part of the...large figures. They are both meant to be Eobasileus (one of the few genus names to survive the great cleansing that came after Leidy, Cope, and Marsh went nuts giving different names to every unitathere fossil they found).

Oh, I just assumed it was a baby because of its larger eyes, and... Wait? What! It's not a uintatherium?

[paleoferroequine]

Oh, I just assumed it was a baby because of its larger eyes, and... Wait? What! It's not a uintatherium?

   Eobasileus is a uintathere and is for all purposes identical to Uintatherium.  I'll quote Avancna at Deviant Art.

   "The Eocene uintatheres, Eobasileus cornutus and Uintatherium robustum, of what is now Western North America.
The differences between these two uintatheres are frustratingly few and far between... They're like Christina Aguilera and J.Lo... Can only be differentiated with extreme difficulty by a specialist."   

[Ultimatedinoking]

Oh, I just assumed it was a baby because of its larger eyes, and... Wait? What! It's not a uintatherium?

   Eobasileus is a uintathere and is for all purposes identical to Uintatherium.  I'll quote Avancna at Deviant Art.

   "The Eocene uintatheres, Eobasileus cornutus and Uintatherium robustum, of what is now Western North America.
The differences between these two uintatheres are frustratingly few and far between... They're like Christina Aguilera and J.Lo... Can only be differentiated with extreme difficulty by a specialist."   

I don't know who those people are, but maybe uintatherium had many subspecies? Eobasilus being one?

[paleoferroequine]

   Unfortunately, I doubt there is much work done on dinocerata and unitatheres that I know of. Most of Artiodactyla is kind of a mess and needs to be sorted out. At least in my layman's opinion.

   Around the 1870 to 1880 time frame E.D. Cope and O.C. Marsh were at each others throat and naming new species willy nilly. They would often proclaim new ideas probably just to be contrary to their arch rival. Cope had it into his head that Eobasileus had a trunk and he proposed putting them in Proboscidea. Well, whatever:


   Too bad he was wrong, I kind of like the look of the guy in a Lovecraftian way!