''Barytherium'' (meaning "heavy beast") is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of an extinct

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

( Barytheriidae) of primitive

proboscidean The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. From ...

s that lived during the late

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

and early Oligocene in North Africa. The type species is ''Barytherium grave'', found at the beginning of the 20th century in

Fayum Faiyum ( ar, الفيوم ' , borrowed from cop, ̀Ⲫⲓⲟⲙ or Ⲫⲓⲱⲙ ' from egy, pꜣ ym "the Sea, Lake") is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. Since then, more complete specimens have been found at Dor el Talha,

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

. More fossils were also discovered in 2011 in the Aidum area in Dhofar by Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Culture, which was named ''Barytherium omansi''."Bones of Elephant Ancestors Found"
, ''The Omani Observer'', May 22, 2011, retrieved May 22, 2011.

Description

The barytheriids were the first large proboscideans to appear in the fossil records. ''Barytherium'' itself stood about 1.8–2.0 m tall at the shoulder and weighed around 2 tonnes. ''Barytherium'' spp. had eight very short tusks, four each in the upper and lower jaws, which resembled those of a modern

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

more than those of an elephant. The upper pairs were vertical, while the lower pairs projected forwards from the mouth horizontally. Together, these would have created a shearing action for cropping plants. There is disagreement about the nose of ''Barytherium''. While it is now considered that moeritheriids did not posseess a

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

, ''Barytherium'' are often restored with one resembling that of a

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...

elephant seal Elephant seals are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus ''Mirounga''. Both species, the northern elephant seal (''M. angustirostris'') and the southern elephant seal (''M. leonina''), were hunted to the brink of extinction for oi ...

. Some palaeontologists have argued the arrangement of the teeth indicate ''Barytherium'' had a fairly long trunk similar to modern elephants.Dixon D. ''The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures'' (Hermes House, 2011), p. 274

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q148649 Eocene proboscideans Oligocene proboscideans Eocene genus first appearances Rupelian genus extinctions Prehistoric placental genera Eocene mammals of Africa Oligocene mammals of Africa Taxa named by Charles William Andrews Fossil taxa described in 1901