Deinotherium

## Physiology

### Attributes

Downwards-facing tusks on lower jaw; small trunk; small ears; as tall as a giraffe; aggressive

## Biography

### Time

20 to 2 MYA

> *This is Deinotherium, a giant elephant-like creature with tusks that curve downward for stripping bark off trees.*
>
> Narrator, describing *Deinotherium*

***Deinotherium*** (name meaning "*Terrible Beast*") is a genus of large proboscidean that originated during the Miocene epoch in what is now Africa, Europe, and Asia. Standing 5 meters tall and weighing 12 tons, *Deinotherium* is one of the largest terrestrial mammals of all time, far larger and more aggressive than the modern elephants.

In the episode "*The Apes Who Became Us*", a male and a couple females, including a mother *Deinotherium* with her baby, were living from Late Pliocene Africa 4 million years ago.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Deinotherium* lived in Africa during the Early Miocene and through to the Early Pleistocene, from 20 – 2 million years ago. They may have lived due to climate changes, which caused their habitat to become too dry and along with the other ancient mammals, such as the *Dinofelis* and*Ancylotherium*, they became endangered. Humans, like the *Homo Habilis* and *Homo Ergaster*, became better at hunting, and killed off the remaining *Deinotherium.*

*Deinotherium* was first discovered in the early 18th century and was named by German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829.

### Physical Attributes

*Deinotherium* was a large mammal, in fact, it was the second-largest land mammal ever to exist, only succeeded by *Paraceratherium*. Due to this immense size and bulk, *Deinotherium* was the largest animal in its ecosystem. At 12 tons (24,000 lbs.), 13 – 16 feet (4 – 5 m) tall at the shoulder, and 26 feet (8 m) from tusk to tail, this truly was a monstrous mammal. It had the basic body plan of a modern elephant, except on a larger scale, in fact, they were 3 times larger than ordinary elephants.

*Deinotherium* also had a smaller trunk than most of its ancestors and relatives. Its ears were small, like a modern Asian Elephant's. *Deinotherium*, like its relatives, possessed a pair of tusks. However, unlike modern elephants, the tusks of *Deinotherium* positioned on the tip of its lower jaw rather than the skull were several feet long, curved and pointed downwards. This bizarre design was especially useful when it came to stripping the bark off of tree trunks to chew with their massive molars.

### Behavior & Traits

Like modern elephants, male *Deinotherium* would undergo musth when ready to mate. During these sessions, they would become extremely aggressive and would attack anything. Surprisingly, these animals also traveled in small groups but were also solitary animals.

Females, especially mothers, displayed some degree of aggression like modern elephants, by just chasing other animals off. For a medium-sized animal, even young *Deinotherium* were worth avoiding. Our ancestors, *Australopithecus*, would have encountered these animals. They probably had intense fear over the mere sight of a male or mother *Deinotherium*, which would have charged at anything in its way.

## Trivia

* The sound effects of *Deinotherium* were slightly modified elephant sounds as well as bull, walrus, and some polar bear sounds to give it a more awesome and intimidating appearance.
* Deinotherium was the second largest mammal and the second largest elephants ever.