21 ‘Palaeotherium minus’ (seated)

3D Model

Palaeotherium means simply ‘ancient beast’. These mammals lived during the Eocene Epoch some 44–33 million years ago – not too long in geological terms after the extinction of the dinosaurs. They were browsing, hoofed herbivores and early members of the horse lineage. They probably lacked the short trunks Hawkins gave these early reconstructions.

The sculptures of these animals have suffered particularly badly from vandalism and other mistreatment. There were once three, one large (Palaeotherium magnum), one medium-sized (Palaeotherium medium) and one small (‘Palaeotherium minus’, now called Plagiolophus minor). This seated model probably represents the last of these. Sometime in the middle of the 20th century the head was lost and replaced with one modelled on P. medium but this too was broken off in 2014 and is in storage. Palaeotherium magnum disappeared some time after 1961, based on the citizen science photo archive project, Dinosaur Monitor.

Model by HE Geospatial Survey Team ©Historic England