Ekorus
Encyclopedia
Ekorus ekakeran is a large extinct mustelid
that inhabited late Miocene
Kenya
.
Standing 60 centimeters tall at the shoulders, its build was not similar to that of modern mustelids. Modern-day weasels have short legs and can only achieve short bursts of speed. The legs of Ekorus are built like those of leopards. It appears that before Africa's big cats ruled the savannas, the giant mustelid Ekorus chased down its prey, such as the three-toed horse Eurygnathohippus and the large pig Nyanzachoerus. The reason for this evolution may be related to the Great Rift Valley
. Before the rift opened, Kenya
was more forested. Eventually as moisture was drawn from the forests by the highlands, the forests opened up into grasslands. The swifter creatures built for open terrain prospered, while the slower forest species perished.
Fossils of large Miocene mustelids have also been discovered in North America
and Asia
.
Mustelidae
Mustelidae , commonly referred to as the weasel family, are a family of carnivorous mammals. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, at least partly because in the past it has been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa...
that inhabited late Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Standing 60 centimeters tall at the shoulders, its build was not similar to that of modern mustelids. Modern-day weasels have short legs and can only achieve short bursts of speed. The legs of Ekorus are built like those of leopards. It appears that before Africa's big cats ruled the savannas, the giant mustelid Ekorus chased down its prey, such as the three-toed horse Eurygnathohippus and the large pig Nyanzachoerus. The reason for this evolution may be related to the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
. Before the rift opened, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
was more forested. Eventually as moisture was drawn from the forests by the highlands, the forests opened up into grasslands. The swifter creatures built for open terrain prospered, while the slower forest species perished.
Fossils of large Miocene mustelids have also been discovered in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.