Elasmotherium

Elasmotherium
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Class Information
Class	Mammalia
Sub-class	Theria
Infra-class	Eutheria
Order Information
Order	Perissodactyla
Sub-order	Ceratomorpha
Family Information
Family	Rhinocerotidae
Genus Information
Genus	Elasmotherium
Population statistics

Elasmotherium (Elasmo=plate, therium=beast) was a rhinoceros relative. It was named in 1878 by Johannes Fridericus Brandt.

Description

Elasmotherium was a quadruped herbivore. It is thought to have been a grazer. It is sometimes called the ‘giant unicorn’ because of the single, large horn growing from its head. The horn, made of keratin, could be about six feet long in length. In total, the animal was about six feet tall and twenty feet long, weighing from 3.5 to 4.5 tons. Despite being such a large animal, Elasmotherium was capable of reaching swift running speeds, producing the most kinetic energy of all land mammals, at twenty-five miles per hour.

Habitat

Elasmotherium liked the Pleistocene steppe regions in Europe and Asia. It consumed grasses as an herbivore and is thought to have been a grazer. A likely capable runner and adept swimmer, Elasmotherium could likely thrive in different steppe-regions.

Evolutionary claims

Evolution scientists claim that Elasmotherium is a relative to the Indian rhinoceros due to similarities in size and range/distribution.