If you know me well, you will know that I have a huge passion for animals and wildlife, but did you know that I also have a special interest in prehistoric wildlife? Ever since I was 9, I have been fascinated by dinosaurs and prehistoric animals from reading tons of books and watching numerous documentaries (in particular, the Walking With… franchise). I am particularly interested in prehistoric mammals (namely those that evolved after the extinction of the dinosaurs) and I have just finished writing an essay on one mammal in particular – the notorious Andrewsarchus.
Andrewsarchus was a large, carnivorous mammal that dates to the middle Eocene epoch (47-38 million years ago) in what is now central Asia, and is considered by many to be the largest carnivorous mammal to ever walk the earth. However, only the upper half of the skull of this enigmatic creature is known, and it was found 100 years ago during an expedition led by Roy Chapman Andrews, who the beast is named after. Although Andrewsarchus was for years considered to be part of a group of hoofed carnivores called mesonychids, recent analysis indicates that it has more in common with whales and hippos, as well as a group of extinct, pig-like mammals called entelodonts.
I was inspired to write this essay after realizing that 2023 is the centenary of the discovery of Andrewsarchus‘s skull, as this skull is all that is known of this animal (although some fragmentary remains have been attributed to it). I have cited a variety of scientific papers as well as website articles, making this essay all the more educational to anyone interested. I hope it will inspire any enthusiastic palaeontologists to head out into the Gobi desert to find any more fossil remains of Andrewsarchus, so that hopefully one day, we will have a better idea of what this animal really looked like.
The essay can be viewed here.
Main image © Roman Uchytel/science Photo Library
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