''Kalimantsia'' is an extinct
chalicothere
Chalicotheres (from Greek '' chalix'', "gravel" and '' therion'', "beast") are an extinct clade of herbivorous, odd-toed ungulate (perissodactyl) mammals that lived in North America, Eurasia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene until the Early Plei ...
from the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
of
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. It contains one species, ''K. bulgarica''.
Description
''Kalimantsia'' is named for the area in which it was discovered in 2001 by Geraads, Spassov, and Kovachev. The habitat would have been quite open and the remains of ''Kalimantsia'' are accompanied by those of
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
s, early
deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
, and various carnivorous mammals. ''Kalimantsia'' has a shorter
muzzle than the horse-like shapes of the rest of the
chalicothere
Chalicotheres (from Greek '' chalix'', "gravel" and '' therion'', "beast") are an extinct clade of herbivorous, odd-toed ungulate (perissodactyl) mammals that lived in North America, Eurasia, and Africa from the Middle Eocene until the Early Plei ...
s. It also has a domed head that would have resembled those of
pachycephalosaur
Pachycephalosauria (; from Greek παχυκεφαλόσαυρος for 'thick headed lizards') is a clade of ornithischian dinosaurs. Along with Ceratopsia, it makes up the clade Marginocephalia. With the exception of two species, most pachyc ...
s. It is believed that males often competed by butting their heads together. The
teeth
A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...
of ''Kalimantsia'' are long and low, and well adapted for eating
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
.
Size
* 3 m (10 ft.)
Lifestyle
*
Browser
See also
*''
Tylocephalonyx
''Tylocephalonyx'' (Greek: "knob" (tylos), "head" (kephalos), "claw/hoof" (onyx)) is an extinct chalicothere from the Miocene of North America.
Description
''Tylocephalonyx'' specimens are notable for a dome-shaped skull, a feature found in some ...
'' - Another genus of chalicothere that also has a domed head.
References
Chalicotheres
Miocene odd-toed ungulates
Miocene mammals of Europe
Prehistoric monotypic mammal genera
Fossil taxa described in 2001
{{paleo-oddtoedungulate-stub