Anthracothere Jaw Fragment
The Enigmatic River Dweller: Anthracothere Jaw Fragment
Species: Undetermined Anthracothere species Age: Middle to Late Eocene / Early to Middle Miocene (approximately 40 to 15 million years ago) Locality: Pondaung Formation or Freshwater Pegu Beds, Myanmar (Burma) Classification: Mammalia > Artiodactyla > Whippomorpha > Anthracotheriidae
This fossil represents a fragment of a lower jaw, or mandible, with preserved teeth, belonging to an anthracothere. Anthracotheres were a diverse group of hoofed mammals that thrived across Eurasia and Africa, and even reached North America, from the Middle Eocene to the Late Pliocene epochs.
A Link to the Past: Anthracotheres are fascinating creatures, often described as "pig-like hippos." Their skeletal features, particularly the anatomy of their lower jaws and the shape of their teeth, show similarities to modern hippopotamuses. Indeed, molecular and paleontological evidence strongly suggests that anthracotheres are the stem group from which hippos evolved, making this ancient lineage a crucial link in understanding the evolutionary history of both hippos and, surprisingly, whales.
Life in Ancient Myanmar: The presence of this fossil in Myanmar (formerly Burma) highlights the region's importance in understanding early mammalian evolution. Fossils from the Pondaung Formation (Middle Eocene) and the Freshwater Pegu Beds (Middle Miocene) in Myanmar have yielded significant anthracothere remains, providing insights into their diversity and distribution. These animals were likely semi-aquatic, preferring forested environments with rivers and swamps, where their bunodont (rounded-cusped) teeth would have been well-suited for crushing soft vegetation, including aquatic plants and fruits.
This jaw fragment offers a tangible connection to a lost world, allowing us to reconstruct the ancient ecosystems of Myanmar and trace the deep evolutionary roots of some of today's most iconic mammals.