Metamynodon
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| Metamynodon Fossil range: Late Eocene to Early Miocene |
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| †Metamynodon planifrons |
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Metamynodon is an extinct genus of amynodont perissodactyls, and is among the longest lived genera of amynodonts, having first appeared during the late Eocene, and becoming extinct during the early Miocene, when it was supplanted by the semiaquatic rhinoceros, Teleoceras. Its fossils have been discovered in the United States, Mongolia and China.
The 4 m (13 ft) long creature was distantly related to the modern rhinoceros, but looked more like a hippopotamus. Metamynodon's front legs had four toes instead of the three usually found in rhinos. Although it was a herbivore (as indicated by its teeth), its skull had a bony ridge typically associated with carnivorous mammals. Most likely it fed on tough plant material, and the jaw muscles were attached to this ridge. Metamynodon used its enlarged canines and fleshy lips to search for food in river banks. Thanks to its high-placed eyes it could still see while almost fully submerged, much like a hippopotamus or crocodile.
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