HOME | DD

Description
Species: Entelodon Magnus
Name Meaning: Complete Tooth

NARRATOR'S DESCRIPTION

"It's survival of the meanest, and they don't come much meaner than this - a giant entelodont. The bully of the plains. These are distant relatives of the pigs, two meters tall and aggressive and built like tanks but with a brain no bigger than an orange."

Classification: Mammalia, Artiodactyla
Diet: Omnivore
Range: Eurasia
Description: Entelodon is the most well known of all the entelodonts. Entelodonts were odd looking mammals that were once thought to be closely related to pigs, hence the popular name, "hell pigs". Today we know that it was rather actually closely related to hippos. It had huge bony knobs protruding from its lower jaw and skull. There were three miniature knobs on the lower jaw too. These are most likely muscle anchor points, and osteological research indicates that the knobs weren't as exposed as shown in popular culture and were well covered by flesh and skin. These "pigs" also had huge canines meaning that they were carnivorous, but its flat grinding molars and premolars indicate that it was also herbivorous meaning that it was an omnivore, just like hippos. These entelodonts had no natural predators but competed with hyaenodons. They also defecated on their food when other entelodons or hyaenodons tried to steal their kills, "hey, if I'm not gonna get it, then you're not gonna get it". XD
Inaccuracies: The WWB entelodon is rather shrink-wrapped when in real life, it would have had a very chubby face.
Outdated things: It is said in the show that it is very closely related to pigs. After the release of this documentary, it was discovered that it was rather actually more closely related to hippos than to pigs.
Time period: Cenozoic, Paleogene, Oligocene
Series: Walking with Beasts
Episode: 3 / Land of Giants

Description
Species: Entelodon Magnus
Name Meaning: Complete Tooth

NARRATOR'S DESCRIPTION

"It's survival of the meanest, and they don't come much meaner than this - a giant entelodont. The bully of the plains. These are distant relatives of the pigs, two meters tall and aggressive and built like tanks but with a brain no bigger than an orange."

Classification: Mammalia, Artiodactyla
Diet: Omnivore
Range: Eurasia
Description: Entelodon is the most well known of all the entelodonts. Entelodonts were odd looking mammals that were once thought to be closely related to pigs, hence the popular name, "hell pigs". Today we know that it was rather actually closely related to hippos. It had huge bony knobs protruding from its lower jaw and skull. There were three miniature knobs on the lower jaw too. These are most likely muscle anchor points, and osteological research indicates that the knobs weren't as exposed as shown in popular culture and were well covered by flesh and skin. These "pigs" also had huge canines meaning that they were carnivorous, but its flat grinding molars and premolars indicate that it was also herbivorous meaning that it was an omnivore, just like hippos. These entelodonts had no natural predators but competed with hyaenodons. They also defecated on their food when other entelodons or hyaenodons tried to steal their kills, "hey, if I'm not gonna get it, then you're not gonna get it". XD
Inaccuracies: The WWB entelodon is rather shrink-wrapped when in real life, it would have had a very chubby face.
Outdated things: It is said in the show that it is very closely related to pigs. After the release of this documentary, it was discovered that it was rather actually more closely related to hippos than to pigs.
Time period: Cenozoic, Paleogene, Oligocene
Series: Walking with Beasts
Episode: 3 / Land of Giants