Produced by the Population Genetics and Evolution class, Furman University

The Paleogene: Coryphodon and the Pantodonts
Coryphodon and the pantodonts were the first large browsing mammals to walk the face of the Earth (Wikipedia 2010). Coryphodon was the largest pantodont during this era, measuring one meter at the shoulder and 2.35 meters in length (Wikipedia 2010). Coryphodon had long forelimbs and shorter hind limbs, which were used to support its 1,100 pound weight (Wikipedia 2010). Although this mammal was large, it had one of the smallest brain to body ratios, with its brain only weighing around 3.2 ounces (Wikipedia 2010). Coryphodon had a very strong neck and was equipped with tucks that were most likely used when foraging for food in warm swamp forests (Wikipedia 2010). Coryphodon, as well as all pantodonts, had upper third and fourth premolar tooth crowns, which had v-shaped crests, and had broad lower premolars and molars, indicating that plants were the sole source of nutrients for these mammals (Lucas 2010). It is likely that Coryphodon was amphibious like today’s hippo, and ranged across North America and Asia (Jehle 2006). Typically, pantodonts from Asia were smaller than those of North America (Jehle 2006). Like most large pantodonts, Coryphodon had a diverse diet of plants depending on the season, ranging from flowers and leaves to pine needles and fungi (Wikipedia 2010). The extinction of Coryphodon marked the end of the pantodonts in North America and Europe; however, other species of pantodonts in Asia survived into the middle Eocene when they were replaced by prehistoric tapirs and rhinos (Lucas 2010).

Page by Chapin Hardy
Coryphodon. Picture From: Wikipedia

Jehle M. 2006. Paleocene mammals of the world. Accessed April 12, 2010.

Lucas SG. 2010. Pantodonta. AccessScience. Accessed April 12, 2010

Wikipedia. 2010. Coryphodon. Accessed April 12, 2010.