Anisodon

Anisodon Temporal range:
Restoration
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Placentalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	†Chalicotheriidae
Subfamily:	†Chalicotheriinae
Genus:	†Anisodon Lartet, 1851
Type species
†Anisodon grande de Blainville, 1849
Species
A. grande A. macedonicus

Anisodon (from Ancient Greek ἄνῑσος (ánīsos), meaning "unequal", and ὀδούς (odoús), meaning "tooth", and thus, "unequal teeth") is an extinct genus of chalicothere that lived in Europe during the late Miocene. It stood at about 150 cm (59 in) and weighed around 600 kg (1,300 lb). It is thought that the animal's clawed forelimbs would have allowed it to pull down tree branches in order to browse, as well as deter Miocene predators such as bear-dogs and saber-toothed cats.

Foot bones at the Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy, Paris.

Models in Basel

Further reading

• McKenna, Malcolm C.; Bell, Susan K. Classification of Mammals. p. 149.
• Lydekker, Richard. "Part 3. Containing the Order Ungulata, Suborders Perissodactyla, Toxodontia, Condylarthra, and Amblypoda". Catalogue of the Fossil Mammalia in the British Museum (Natural History). p. 162.