Ancylotherium Lived:6.5-2 million years ago.Sparse remains of Ancylotherium have been found at many of the most famous hominid fossil sites in East and South Africa, such as Laetoli, Olduvai and Omo.
- Type: Chalicothere
- Diet: Herbivore
- Size: 2m high at the shoulder
- Protection status: Extinct
| Pronunciation: | AN-sy-loh-THEER-ee-um | |
| Latin name: | Ancylotherium hennigi | |
| Meaning: | "hooked beast" | |
| Animal Type: | Mammal - perissodactyl | |
| Dietary Type: | Herbivorous - browsed vegetation | |
| Closest Living Relative: | Horses, tapirs and rhinos | |
| Size: | 2m high at the shoulder |
Details:One of the last surviving chalicotheres, Ancylotherium was one of the group that didn't walk on their knuckles. These animals were like large goats, designed to reach up and browse the vegetation studding the plains of Africa. They are thought to have become extinct only a couple of million years ago, although there are sometimes strange sightings which lead people to speculate that they may still survive in some parts of Africa.
There were two main groups of chalicothere - the knuckle-walking forest dwellers and the more goat-like Ancylotherium that lived on the plains.
The chalicotheres, which were related to modern horses, rhinos and tapirs, became extinct about 2 million years ago. Fossils of Ancylotherium are scarce, but a chemical analysis of its teeth shows that it was a browser, reaching up for leaves from the scattered trees on the African plains just as many antelope do today.