Dinohyus
 Dinohyus (meaning "terrible
pig") was a large, warthog-like hoofed mammal that lived during
the early Miocene, roughly 24 million years ago. This herbivore
(it ate plants, including roots) had a long skull (over 1 m = 3
feet
long), a small braincase, a pair of knob-like protrusions on the
back of the lower jaw (in the cheek area), blunt incisors, and
wide, strong canine teeth. Its long legs probably made it a fast
runner.
The neck was short and stout and there was a hump on the shoulders
formed by spines along the backbone. It was about 6 feet (2 m)
tall at the shoulders and was the biggest and among the last of
the Entelodonts.
Fossils have been found in western North America (including Battle
Creek, South Dakota, USA). Classification: Class Mammalia (mammals),
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates), Family Entelodontidae
(large, pig-like mammals from the Oligocene to early Miocene, including
Archaeotherium,
Megachoerus, Dinohyus, Entelodon and Eoentelodon), Genus Dinohyus.
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