Elasmotherium is a large Elasmotheriine rhinoceros which grazed the Eurasian mammoth steppe from the Late Miocene to about 39.000 years ago. There are five recognized species of Elasmotherium, with Elasmotherium sibiricum representing the genus in-game. It is the base genus for Sinotherium.
It was added to Prehistoric Kingdom in Update 10 (EA 1.7).
In-Game[]
Description[]
Elasmotherium is a large brown-furred herbivorous hoofed mammal with a bulbous blocky head. They resemble their modern rhinoceros relatives in most aspects, though as members of the extinct Elasmotheriinae their horns are placed further back rather than at the nose. The choice between a full, long cranial horn (like Elasmotherium was traditionally restored with) or a more plausible “boss” is left to the player. Males are generally larger than females.
Management[]
To be announced.
In-Game Trivia[]
Nigel Marven
This giant beast is Elasmotherium, sometimes called the Siberian unicorn.
Nigel Marven
That hump over its shoulders isn’t just for show - it’s packed with muscles that allow it to lift and maneuver its massive head and horn, rather like a bison does.
Nigel Marven
The unicorn comparison goes far father than just the horn. Compared to other rhinoceroses, their legs are longer and more suited to running. I’ve yet to see one do magic, though…
Nigel Marven
Some paleontologists have suggest that Elasmotherium’s head and hump were not muscular enough to carry a giant horn, arguing in favor of more of a lighter… unicorn-stump. However, those that we’ve created in the park have proved strong enough to carry any sized horn. The size really depends on which mutations were present in the prehistoric ‘donors’ DNA.
Paleontology[]
Elasmotherium inhabited the frigid yet dry Mammoth Steppe, which once covered a large swathe of Eurasia. It shared its habitat with fellow ice age icons like the Woolly Mammoth and the Cave Lion. Its range extended from Ukraine to the western tip of Mongolia.
Elasmotherium was a grazing animal and would have had to contend with a remarkably hostile environment. Despite these hardships, it clearly managed to survive whatever the Siberian steppe could throw at it as these rhinos were surprisingly large, visibly dwarfing all modern rhinoceros species and fellow Ice Age rhino Coelodonta. This has lead some to refer to it as the "Giant Rhino". While this is not a ubiquitous as Coelodonta's "Woolly Rhino" moniker, it certainly is just as fitting for this hulking mini-mountain of an animal.
Paleoecology[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Elasmotherium is often referred to as the "Siberian Unicorn" owing to its single horn, even though the usual size of this horn is now a matter of debate.
- The skins of Elasmotherium each refernce aspects of the skins and their animals
- The long-horned "Menhir" skin is named after a type of man-made standing stone that tapers towards the top which is found across Europe, a structure that resembles the massive horn seen on this skin's Elasmotherium
- The short-horned "Chiseled" skin may be in reference to the much shorter horn seen on this Elasmotherium variety, as if its horn has been chiseled away
- Elasmotherium is likely what inspired the design of The Mandalorian's Mudhorn, one of many paleontology inspired designs in the Star Wars franchise such as the Paraceratherium inspired AT-AT walkers and Ronto, and the Apatosaurus vertebrae mimicking T-20 Umbaran Starfighter among others.
- Elasmotherium was one of the animals kept by Nigel Marven in the 2006 television series Prehistoric Park, in the series Nigel goads the animal into the present by baiting it into charging at him through his time portal and into the park.
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