Archived Exhibits: "Thunder Beasts" of Saskatchewan
What is a Brontothere?
Brontotheres are extinct, medium to large sized hoofed mammals whose closest living relatives are the rhinoceroses and horses. The word "brontothere" has Greek origins and means "thunder beast." The name refers to their large size and the loud thunder-like sounds that would have been produced by moving herds of these animals. Some individuals reached the size of a small elephant!
What is the bony knob on his nose?
Many brontotheres had large bony protrusions above their eyes. These horns were probably used in wrestling matches with other brontotheres, like bison use their horns today. Actual striking with the horns was probably used only as a defensive tactic against predators. In some species, the horns were extremely long, while in others they were forked, suggesting that the horns may have also been used to help brontotheres recognize their own species.
What happened to the brontotheres?
Approximately 40 to 35 million years ago the climate started to become cooler and more seasonal. This change in climate resulted in a reduction of forests and the development of more open, savanna-like habitats. By the end of the Eocene, about 34 million years ago, brontotheres were unable to adapt to the changing environment and became extinct in North America. In Asia they may have lasted a few more million years into the middle Oligocene Period, approximately 30 million years ago.
Were there any brontotheres in our neighbourhood?
Canadian brontotheres are found in 44-34 million-year-old fossil deposits in the Cypress Hills area of southwestern Saskatchewan. They were first recognized in this area over a century ago by the famed American palaeontologist Edward Drinker Cope (1840-1897). Since then, hundreds of individual bones and bone fragments, including skeletons and complete skulls, have been discovered.
The RSM has been involved in excavations in southwestern Saskatchewan, where two partial brontothere skeletons have been discovered. In 1973, field work near Eastend produced a partial brontothere skeleton. And a nearly complete skeleton was collected near Simmie in 1996. Drop into the RSM soon to see a temporary exhibit of brontothere fossils.
For further information contact the Exhibits Unit
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