Sivatherium Explained

Sivatherium ("Shiva's beast", from Shiva and therium, Latinized form of Ancient Greek θηρίον - thēríon) is an extinct genus of giraffid that ranged throughout Africa and Eurasia. The species Sivatherium giganteum is, by weight, one of the largest giraffids known, and also one of the largest ruminants of all time.

Sivatherium originated during the Late Miocene (around 7 million years ago) in Africa and survived through to the late Early Pleistocene (Calabrian) until around 1 million years ago.[1]

Description

Sivatherium resembled the modern okapi, but was far larger, and more heavily built, being about 2.2m (07.2feet) tall at the shoulder, 3m (10feet) in total height with a weight up to 400kg-500kgkg (900lb-1,100lbkg).[2] A newer estimate has come up with an estimated body mass of about 1250kg (2,760lb)[3] or 1360kg (3,000lb).[4] This would make Sivatherium one of the largest known ruminants, rivalling the modern giraffe and the largest bovines. This weight estimate is thought to be an underestimate, as it does not take into account the large horns possessed by males of the species. Sivatherium had a wide, antler-like pair of ossicones on its head, and a second pair of ossicones above its eyes. Its shoulders were very powerful to support the neck muscles required to lift the heavy skull. Sivatherium was initially misidentified as an archaic link between modern ruminants and the now obsolete, polyphyletic "pachyderms" (elephants, rhinoceroses, horses and tapirs). The confusion arose in part due to its graviportal (robust) morphology, which was unlike anything else studied at that time.[5]

Diet

A dental wear analysis of S. hendeyi from the Early Pliocene of South Africa found that the teeth were brachyodont, but had a higher hypsodonty than a giraffe, and that it was best classified as a mixed feeder, being able to both graze and browse.[6]

Relationship with humans

Remains of Sivatherium from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, dating to around 1.35 million years ago have been found associated with stone tools and bearing cut marks, indicating butchery by archaic humans, likely Homo erectus. Historically, it has been suggested that figurines from Sumeria and ancient rock paintings in the Sahara and Central West India.[7] However, these claims are not substantiated by fossil evidence (which suggest that the genus was extinct long before the emergence of modern humans), and the depictions likely represent other animals.[8]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fossilworks: Sivatherium. fossilworks.org. 17 December 2021.
  2. http://www.geocities.ws/rsn_biodata/Data/Sivatherium_giganteum.html (in Portuguese)
  3. The extinct, giant giraffid Sivatherium giganteum: skeletal reconstruction and body mass estimation . . January 2016 . 12 . 1 . 20150940 . 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0940 . 26763212. 4785933 . Christopher . Basu . Peter L. . Falkingham . John R. . Hutchinson.
  4. Web site: The Biggest Giraffe of All Time . Black . Riley . February 10, 2016 . National Geographic . November 2, 2022.
  5. Book: Palmer . D. . 1999 . The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. Marshall Editions. London. 278. 978-1-84028-152-1.
  6. Book: Franz-Odendaal, Tamara A. Solounias, Nikos. Comparative dietary evaluations of an extinct giraffid (Sivatherium hendeyi) (Mammalia, Giraffidae, Sivatheriinae) from Langebaanweg, South Africa (Early Pliocene).. 631971239.
  7. Web site: Rock paintings show species that roamed India . 2016-09-14 . www.newindianexpress.com.
  8. Web site: Naish . Darren . April 25, 2011 . What happened with that Sumerian 'sivathere' figurine after Colbert's paper of 1936? Well, a lot. . Tetrapod Zoology.

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