5.8" Brontothere Fossil Limb Bone Eocene Age Badlands S Dakota Titanothere COA

Location: White River Badlands, South Dakota

Weight: 2 Pounds 1.5 Ounces

Dimensions: 5.8 Inches Long, 4.2 Inches Wide, 3.1 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 – Ancient Megacerops coloradensis of the Badlands

Brontotheres were massive mammals that once roamed the region now known as Badlands National Park, approximately 56 to 33.9 million years ago. Known in scientific literature as Megacerops coloradensis, these animals are sometimes called “titanotheres,” or “thunder beasts,” a reference to the tremendous sound that a herd of these enormous creatures would have made as they moved across prehistoric landscapes.

Fossils indicate that Badlands brontotheres reached heights of around 8 feet and lengths of up to 16 feet, similar in size to a modern large rhinoceros or small elephant. Yet early Eocene brontotheres began as dog-sized animals. Over the course of 20 million years, they evolved and diversified, gradually growing into the gigantic forms represented in late Eocene fossils from the Badlands.

One of the most striking characteristics of brontotheres is their paired, blunt nasal horns. These horns evolved from small nubs into massive structures exceeding 3.3 feet (1 meter) in length, with males typically sporting larger horns than females. Although they resemble modern rhinos, brontotheres are only distant relatives. True rhino ancestors, like Subhyracodon, are also present in the Badlands fossil record, representing the lineage that led to today’s rhinoceroses.