elasmotherium
Jul. 13th, 2015 07:46 amelasmotherium (eh-laz-moh-THER-ee-um) - n., any of several extinct Eurasian rhinoceroses (genus Elasmotherium) with ever-growing molars and a single large horn.
Leftover from last week's theme -- though unlike the others, Eurasian rather than New World and died around 50,000 years ago instead of at the end of the Ice Ages. Imagine a rhino the size of a mammoth, with a longer than 2m (6ft) horn, and you'll be close. May or may not have had wooly fur. Name is from Greek roots elasm-, thin plates + therium, wild beast -- for the plating on its molars. Which is kinda disappointing, really.
---L.
Leftover from last week's theme -- though unlike the others, Eurasian rather than New World and died around 50,000 years ago instead of at the end of the Ice Ages. Imagine a rhino the size of a mammoth, with a longer than 2m (6ft) horn, and you'll be close. May or may not have had wooly fur. Name is from Greek roots elasm-, thin plates + therium, wild beast -- for the plating on its molars. Which is kinda disappointing, really.
---L.