This ancient hippopotamus was an extinct herbivore that lived from the Late Oligocene to the Miocene epoch.
As one of the largest living semi-aquatic mammals on our planet, hippos have always been considered fascinating creatures in the eyes of researchers.
Their name is of Greek origin, meaning “river horse”. Despite their looks, and to the surprise of many, hippos and whales are closely related through a common ancestor that existed about 54 million years ago.
Hippos were originally common throughout Europe and Asia but are now found only in Africa. These large animals prefer to spend their time in grasslands where they can feed.
Hippos are said to eat a lot to maintain their size, but despite the fearsome appearance of these animals, they will not show aggression unless provoked.
In fact, the Earth once had extinct hippos that looked much scarier and were said to be more aggressive than modern hippos.
One such species is Desmostylus – a prehistoric hippo with razor-sharp fangs that once roamed the Earth.
This ancient hippopotamus lived from the Late Oligocene to the Miocene epoch. Desmostylus belongs to the family Desmostylidae and none of their descendants have survived to this day, making it difficult to trace their full history or understand their habits.
These hippo-like creatures weigh up to 1.4 tons and reach nearly 3 meters long but only reach about 1 meter in height. They also have short tails and four extremely strong legs with hooves at the end of each limb.
Since Desmostylus is a marine mammal, it has features that allow it to spend most of its time in water. For example, the bones of the lower limbs are fused to form a hard part. This can make it difficult to walk on land, but swimming is much easier.
One of the most striking features of this animal is its fang-like teeth. They have tusks that point forward and act like fangs. Many experts still wonder why these animals have such teeth.
They claim that they are herbivores and there is no reason to possess these fangs – usually the fangs are used to kill and eat other animals.
However, some other experts believe that these teeth are used to protect them from attack by other predators. These canine-like teeth also exist in a number of other prehistoric animals, such as Gomphotherium, a prehistoric elephant-like animal that lived during the Neogene period.
Desmostylus existed between the Late Oligocene and the Late Miocene, from 28.4 to 7.25 million years ago. This creature is believed to have existed for over 20 million years. Based on where the fossil was found, it is thought to have inhabited various locations, such as parts of Japan in Asia and the Pacific Rim in North America.
Although these ancient hippopotamus-like creatures are thought to be semi-aquatic, there is evidence that they spent most of their time underwater and were able to dive very deep.
According to experts, these animals only spend their time on land resting, mating or foraging. Although it looks like a modern hippo, Desmostylus’ lifestyle would be more similar to that of a sea lion.
Desmostylus apparently spent most of his life in the shallow waters of coastal regions. However, some recent findings also suggest that they can also live in freshwater and estuary environments.
While the exact cause of the animal’s extinction is unknown, experts say changes to Desmostylus’ habitat will provide clues.
Desmostylus existed as a marine animal, spending most of its time near the coast. It is believed that because the Miocene epoch was the period of formation and development of new mammals. Therefore Desmostylus was forced to adapt and live in freshwater environments. This newly developed competition combined with habitat changes most likely contributed to their extinction.
Desmostylus was thought to have been herbivores, like modern-day hippos, but the exact plant species these animals ate is unknown.
However, many experts believe that this giant animal feeds on soft aquatic plants that can be found around their habitat.
In addition, due to their special teeth, it is thought that they can also eat plants with deep roots. In addition, the teeth in the lower front jaw have developed into tusks and form a shovel-like structure. Two other tusks-like teeth emerge from the upper jaw.
Little is known about animals, especially carnivores, that lived at the same time as Desmostylus. But fossil analysis shows that the animal was nearly defenseless, so it’s possible that its razor-sharp fangs were used as a defense against predators.
