The Rise and Fall of the Tallest Mammal to Walk the Earth

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It arose from rhino ancestors that were a lot smaller, but Paraceratherium would take a different evolutionary path. Believe it or not, it actually became so big that it probably got close to what scientists think might be the actual upper limit for a land mammal. 

The illustration of Paraceratherium used in the thumbnail is by Dmitry Bogdanov!

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[Vtertdfgwrthybdfasgagadfg]

Paraceratherium: "Can i have a more efficient digestive system?"
Evolution: "6 meters tall take it or leave it."

[dayalasingh]

I've seen images of this animal before but never knew it was *that* big.

[SHutso-kcpg]

Paraceratherium: the tallest mammal to ever walk the earth.
This guy: the buffest natural history dude to ever walk the earth.

[itztrimax]

This is so nostalgic. I remember having one of these as a pet back in the BCEs.

[edweefication]

Ancient, tall rhinos: peacefully striding around looking for high leaves to eat

Ancient elephant: *YO DAWG*

[Sky]

"It's not the horn that makes rhino a rhino"
My whole life was a lie and my day is ruined

[switchblade]

Ark players: Y'know, I'm something of a paleontologist myself.

[paulmatolsy]

There has been so much attention paid to dinosaurs but I find the animals that lived before and after the dinosaurs equally fascinating and they should receive more attention.

[vertdefurk]

Thanks to Ark: Survival Evolved for giving me a heads up that this thing existed before I saw this video.

[gabor]

A paraceratherium walks into a bar. The bartender says: You're gonna pay for the ceiling.

[bloodhunter]

“It was about the size of a dog”
*do u have any idea how little that narrows it down*

[Pickleroony]

I’ve loved prehistoric creatures before I can even remember and, until this day, I still find it amazing and shocking that such creatures roamed the world we live in now. Nature is awesome.

[garry]

Growing big can save you from predators
Humans: Ahhh, we can feed the whole tribe with that one

[blobbertmcblob]

I can't be the only one who wishes dog-sized rhinos still existed.

[Jop_pop]

Blake is really just bragging when he says "getting big is a strategy that will never go out of style"

[zainwayne]

“We call this animal (sciencey name)”

I call this animal horseapotamus

[EuphoriaDreamer]

"It was actually a kind of Rhinoceros, though you probably couldn't tell by looking at it"

All the drawings of it up to this point look exactly like a Rhino if it had the proportions of a Giraffe.

[aidanmonty]

"it looks like getting big is a strategy that will never go out of style" you can say that again bro

[MichaelSD]

I remember seeing Paraceratherium in the Walking with Beasts documentaries. Always liked this creature. Got to see an exhibit in Utah where their was a model of Prehistoric Mammals and got a cool picture of it. Reminded me of the walkers in Empire Strikes Back.

[aidangriffiths]

Remembering how tall a giraffe is and understanding this was even taller and much larger overall is mind-boggling.... and then you remember it wouldn't be a very big dinosaur 😂