Barytherium

Barytherium was a genus of an extinct family of primitive proboscideans that lived during the late Eocene and early Oligocene in North Africa.

They had eight very short tusks, four each in the upper and lower jaws, which resembled those of a modern hippopotamus more than those of an elephant.

They also had a trunk that may have been similar to that of a tapir or elephant seal.

Barytherium was a genus of extinct proboscideans, the group of animals that includes elephants and their relatives.
Barytherium lived during the late Eocene and early Oligocene epochs, about 37 to 33 million years ago.

Barytherium was mainly found in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
The first fossils of Barytherium were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century in Fayum, Egypt.
Later, more complete specimens were found at Dor el Talha, Libya.
In 2011, new fossils were also discovered in the Aidum area in Dhofar by Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Culture, which were named Barytherium omansi.

Barytherium was one of the first large proboscideans to appear in the fossil record.
It stood about 2.5 to 3 meters tall at the shoulder and weighed around 3 to 4 tons.
It had a flat skull with air-filled chambers to reduce the weight of the head.
It had a large nasal opening that may have supported a trunk, but the size and shape of the trunk are unknown.

Barytherium had eight short tusks, four in each jaw, that resembled those of a hippopotamus more than those of an elephant.
The upper pairs were vertical, while the lower pairs projected forwards horizontally.
These tusks created a shearing action for cutting plants.
Barytherium also had a reduced dentition compared to its older relative, Moeritherium.
It had only one incisor and no canine in each jaw.
The molars had a bilophodont structure, with two transverse ridges on each tooth.

Barytherium was probably a herbivore that fed on soft vegetation near water sources.
It may have been semi-aquatic, like Moeritherium, or more terrestrial, like modern elephants.
It is not clear how Barytherium was related to other proboscideans, but it may have been a transitional form between the primitive and the advanced forms.

The Barytherium was a genus of extinct proboscideans, or elephant-like mammals, that lived in North Africa from the late Eocene to the early Oligocene (about 36-32 million years ago).

It was one of the first large proboscideans to appear in the fossil record, reaching a height of 1.8-2 meters at the shoulder and a weight of about 2 tons.

Barytherium had eight short tusks, four in the upper jaw and four in the lower jaw.

The upper tusks were vertical, while the lower tusks projected forward horizontally.

Barytherium also had a long nose, which may have been a primitive trunk or a tapir-like snout.

Some paleontologists have suggested that the Barytherium had a fairly long trunk like modern elephants, based on the arrangement of its teeth.

Barytherium was a member of the family Barytheriidae, which is considered to be a basal group of proboscideans, meaning that they diverged early from the main evolutionary line that led to modern elephants.

It was first discovered in Egypt in the early 20th century by C.W. Andrews.

Later, more complete specimens were found in Libya and Oman.