3.8" Brontothere Fossil Vertebrae Bone Eocene Age Badlands S Dakota Titanothere COA

Location: White River Badlands, South Dakota

Weight: 11.1 Ounces

Dimensions: 3.8 Inches Long, 2.2 Inches Wide, 2.1 Inches Thick (Matrix)

Eocene Age, 56 to 33.9 million years Old.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

Brontothere is an ancient mammal that roamed the area of Badlands National Park about 56-33.9 million years ago. Badlands brontotheres are also known as Megacerops coloradensis in scientific literature. Sometimes called “titanothere,” its name means “thunder beast,” referring to how a traveling herd of massive brontotheres may have sounded long ago, thundering through ancient environments.

Brontotheres found in the Badlands would have measured around 8 feet tall and 16 feet long, the size of a large rhino or small elephant today, but brontotheres began as only dog-sized animals in the early Eocene epoch. Over the next 20 million years of the Eocene, brontotheres became larger as they evolved and diversified. By the late Eocene, brontotheres reached the massive size we see in Badlands fossil brontotheres today.

Brontotheres were massive, extinct mammals that roamed the region now known as Badlands National Park between 56 and 33.9 million years ago. Scientifically known as Megacerops coloradensis, these animals are sometimes called “titanotheres,” meaning “thunder beasts,” a name inspired by the imagined rumble of a herd of these enormous creatures moving across prehistoric landscapes.

Fossil evidence shows that Badlands brontotheres reached astonishing sizes, standing around 8 feet tall and measuring up to 16 feet long, roughly the size of a modern large rhinoceros or small elephant. However, early Eocene brontotheres were only dog-sized. Over the course of 20 million years, they gradually evolved and diversified, growing steadily in size and developing the distinctive features that make their fossils so remarkable today.

One of the most striking features of brontotheres is their paired blunt horns protruding from the nose. These horns grew from small nubs into massive structures, sometimes exceeding 3.3 feet (1 meter) in length, with males typically sporting larger horns than females. While these horns resemble those of modern rhinos, brontotheres are only distant relatives. The Badlands fossil record also includes animals like Subhyracodon, the true ancestors of modern rhinoceroses, providing important insight into the evolution of the rhino family.

Brontotheres were not only remarkable for their size and horns but also for their role in prehistoric ecosystems. Likely moving in herds, they would have shaped vegetation patterns and interacted with a variety of plants and other animals. Fossils of brontotheres, along with other mammals, reptiles, and plant remains from the Badlands, offer a detailed window into Eocene ecosystems, highlighting the diversity, adaptation, and evolution of North American prehistoric life.