Merycoidodon, or more commonly known as Oreodonts, were grazing mammals that resembled pigs or sheep. They are famous both for their teeth (the name Oreodont translates to “mountain teeth”) and the sheer number of their fossils that people have found. Oreodont populations were outlandishly abundant, so much so that their fossils are a common find in places like Badlands National Park. They moved in herds, which protected them from predators like saber-tooth cats. Despite their numbers, they were not adaptable to changes in food availability and went extinct as a result of major climate change and being outcompeted by other foraging species.
Merycoidodon, or more commonly known as Oreodonts, were grazing mammals that resembled pigs or sheep. They are famous both for their teeth (the name Oreodont translates to “mountain teeth”) and the sheer number of their fossils that people have found. Oreodont populations were outlandishly abundant, so much so that their fossils are a common find in places like Badlands National Park. They moved in herds, which protected them from predators like saber-tooth cats. Despite their numbers, they were not adaptable to changes in food availability and went extinct as a result of major climate change and being outcompeted by other foraging species.