Brontops

fossil mammal genus

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June 22, 2026

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Brontops was a genus of large, extinct, herbivorous mammals that lived during the Oligocene Epoch, approximately 36.6 to 23.7 million years ago. These animals are considered part of the titanotheres, which share a common ancestry with horses.12

Adult Brontops stood about 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall at the shoulder. Despite their massive skulls, their brains were relatively small compared to modern hoofed mammals. They possessed a pair of large horns at the front of their skulls that split towards the apex. Their teeth were large but primitive, adapted for consuming soft vegetation.1

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perissodactyl
Titanotheres
The end forms, such as Brontops and Brontotherium, were huge, the largest standing 2.5 metres (8 feet) at the shoulder. They had long, low skulls and a small brain. Many species bore a pair of large, hornlike processes on the front of the head.
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The end forms, such as Brontops and Brontotherium, were huge, the largest standing 2.5 metres (8 feet) at the shoulder. They had long, low skulls and a small brain. Many species bore a pair of large, hornlike processes on the front of the head.
Read More