24 Anoplotherium commune (crouching)

3D Model

Anoplotherium (‘unarmed beast’) was an early mammal that browsed on leaves and fruit. It was one of the first animals to be recognised as extinct from fossils, by the celebrated French anatomist Georges Cuvier in 1804. It lived 36–34 million years ago during Eocene Epoch.

There are three sculptures of Anoplotherium commune forming a group – one standing, one crouching (this one), and one that appears to be emerging from the water and shaking itself dry (this last one is a fibreglass replacement created in 2001; it is not included in these models as it has not been surveyed).

In the 1800s Anoplotherium was thought to be a swimming animal that used its powerful tail in the manner of a beaver but today it is understood that it used its tail to balance while standing on two legs to browse high in the trees. While the statues have four toes on each foot they actually had three, and the camel-like details of the head are now thought to be inaccurate too.

Model by HE Geospatial Survey Team ©Historic England