''Megalochoerus'' is an extinct genus of large and long-legged pig-like animals from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), 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 mea ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Taxonomy

The species ''M. khinzikebirus'' and ''M. marymuunguae'' were once considered to belong to the related ''

Kubanochoerus ''Kubanochoerus'' is an extinct genus of large, long-legged suid artiodactyl mammal from the Miocene of Eurasia and Africa. Taxonomy The genera ''Libycochoerus'' and ''Megalochoerus ''Megalochoerus'' is an extinct genus of large and long ...

'' or '' Libycochoerus'', but have since been reassigned to ''Megalochoerus''. ''Megalochoerus marymuuguae'' was the smallest and earliest of the three species, while ''M. humungous'' was the latest occurring and largest.

Description

''Megalochoerus'' contained some of the largest suids ever known to exist. Weight estimates of ''M. khinzikebirus'', intermediate in size between the other two species, have been as high as based on dental morphology, easily larger than other giant fossil pigs such as ''Kubanochoerus'' and '' Notochoerus''. Other calculations based on molar and humerus measurements have yielded lower estimates for ''M. khinzikebirus''; based on measurements of the lower molar (m/1), and based on articulation of the distal humerus. Regardless, even the smallest estimates would suggest that the larger ''M. homungous'' was the largest known suid, reaching the size of a gomphothere which would have measured more than tall and weighed .

References

Prehistoric Suidae Miocene mammals of Africa Miocene even-toed ungulates Fossil taxa described in 1993 Prehistoric even-toed ungulate genera {{paleo-eventoedungulate-stub