Mammal
Megacerops coloradensis
Megacerops coloradensisAlso known as Brontothere, Titanothere, Thunder Beast, Brontotherium
Megacerops coloradensis was a massive, rhinocerotoid browser that roamed the subtropical open woodlands and river plains of Late Eocene North America. Adults possessed prominent, blunt Y-shaped cranial horns formed directly from the nasal bones, which were heavily built and likely functioned in ritualized flank-shoving bouts between rivals. Equipped with low-crowned teeth adapted strictly for soft forest vegetation rather than abrasive grasses, populations vanished when widespread cooling and drying shifted the landscape toward scrubland.
HerbivorePrehistoric
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyHerbivorous browser (soft leaves, tender shoots, twigs, and fruit)
Predators
- Hyaenodon
- Nimravids
- Archaeotherium
ThreatsEocene-Oligocene cooling, drying climate, and loss of dense forest browse
HabitatsSubtropical open woodlands, floodplains, and riparian forests
Life spanEstimated 30–40 years
Classification
- OrderPerissodactyla
- FamilyBrontotheriidae
- GenusMegacerops
- SpeciesMegacerops coloradensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Extinct prehistoric mammal known only from fossil remains.
Responsible observation
- Museum Examination: Study mounted skeletons in natural history museums to view the solid nasal horn cores.
- Rib Cage Analysis: Look for healed rib fractures on fossil mounts, evidence of aggressive flank-butting.
Contemporary Predator Daderot / CC0 · cc0
Image unavailableCompetitor Frequent Companion Same Family
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