Trogosus

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Trogosus is an extinct mammal from the tillodont group that lived in North America during the Early to Middle Eocene (about 54.8–33.7 million years ago). Fossils have been found in Wyoming, California, and British Columbia.

It was a bear-like herbivore with a large, short skull and flat feet. The skull was about 35 cm long, and it weighed around 150 kg. It had large, continuously growing incisors (like a rodent). Its molars show heavy wear, suggesting it fed on tough plant material such as roots and tubers.

The brain was relatively small for its size, and it likely relied more on smell, with large olfactory bulbs. This combination may have made it harder to escape predators and compete with other animals.

Classification and species: Kingdom Animalia; Phylum Chordata; Class Mammalia; Order Tillodontia; Family Esthonychidae; Subfamily Trogosinae; Genus Trogosus. Species include T. castoridens (type), T. gazini, T. grangeri, T. hillsii, T. hyracoides, and T. latidens.