Moropus (meaning "slow foot") [2] is an extinct genus of large perissodactyl mammal in the chalicothere family. They were endemic to North America during the Miocene from ~20.4–13.6 Mya , existing for approximately 6.8 million years .

Moropus, extinct genus of the chalicotheres, a group of very unusual perissodactyls (“odd-toed” ungulates) related to the horse. Fossil remains of Moropus are found in Miocene deposits in North America and Asia (the Miocene Epoch lasted from 23.7 to 5.3 million years ago).

Moropus is a well-known chalicothere from the early Miocene of North America. Its bodily proportions are similar to a living okapi (a kind of short-necked giraffe), with longer forelimbs than hindlimbs and a somewhat elongated neck.

Moropus doesn't; instead it has a weird "pigeon-toed" gait. Moropus lived much like therizinosaurs, ground sloths, and pandas. It is a specialized leaf-eater that used its tall, sloping build and long arms to reach tall branches.

Moropus is an extinct genus of large perissodactyl mammal in the chalicothere family. They were endemic to North America during the Miocene from ~20.4–13.6 Mya,...

Only two species of chalicothere are known from complete skeletons, the schizotheriine Moropus from the early Miocene of North America, and the chalicotheriine Anisodon from the middle Miocene of Europe. Fossils of other species range from very fragmentary to moderately complete.

Mar 27, 2025 · Moropus was a distant relative of the horse. It’s one of the more puzzling mammals here at Agate. For many years, paleontologists thought its feet had claws rather than hooves.

Jan 22, 2014 · Moropus seems to have been larger than most other chalicotheres,‭ ‬and its broad distribution and numerous remains indicate that it was one of the most common animals alive in North America during the early stages of the Miocene.‭ ‬Moropus also seems to have not walked upon its knuckles to protect its claws like most other chalicotheres ...

Sep 28, 2024 · Moropus (meaning slow foot) is an extinct genus of perissodactyl (oddtoed) mammal that belonged to the group called chalicotheres, which were endemic to North America during the Miocene from 23.013.6 Mya, existing for approximately 9.4 million years.

Moropus species Moropus elatus Name Synonyms Chalicotherium elatum (Marsh, 1877) Moropus cooki Barbour, 1908 Moropus parvus Barbour, 1909 Moropus petersoni Holland, 1908 Homonyms Moropus elatus Marsh, 1877