Gobiatherium mirificum

Gobiatherium —previously known as Gobiatherium major from some fossils but now considered a synonym of Gobiatherium mirificum according to paleontological databases—was an extinct dinocerid mammal that lived during the Middle Eocene of Asia (approximately 55 to 38 million years ago) , with specimens well represented in Mongolia and the Gobi Desert region. The genus name literally means " beast of the Gobi ," referring to its primary geographic location and the Mongolian desert where its remains were discovered.

Taxonomically, Gobiatherium is included within the Uintatheriidae (or its own subfamily Gobiatheriinae by some authors), a group of large archaic mammals known as dinoceratids , characterized by robust cranial morphologies and distinctive dental patterns. Unlike other North American uintatheriids—such as Uintatherium or Eobasileus , which possessed prominent horns and tusks— Gobiatherium lacked these derived traits and exhibited a more simplified skull, with broadened cheekbones and a relatively spherical snout without evident horns , which has suggested functional differences in its ecology and lifestyle compared to its relatives.

Regarding body dimensions , estimates based on fossil material indicate that the largest Gobiatherium individuals reached approximately 3.5–3.8 meters in length and 1.2–1.4 meters in height at the shoulder , with an estimated body mass of around 1.5–2 metric tons , placing it among the largest Asian dinocerids of the Eocene. Its body was robust and heavy, with strong limbs adapted to support a considerable volume of body mass.

The dental and cranial morphology of Gobiatherium suggests that it was a specialized herbivore , feeding primarily on soft vegetation—such as leaves and shoots—available in its Eocene environment . Although its teeth lacked the extreme complexity of later ungulates, they were well-adapted for grinding plant material, and the skull structure indicates powerful masticatory musculature that enhanced its feeding efficiency.

Regarding its habitat and paleoecology , Gobiatherium evolved in a climatic context very different from the current desert: during the Eocene, the region that now corresponds to the Gobi Desert was a temperate to warm environment with abundant vegetation, river plains, and scattered forests , creating a mosaic of habitats that supported a diverse fauna of mammals, reptiles, and other vertebrates. This environment would have offered rich and varied food resources for a large herbivore like Gobiatherium , adapted to traveling moderate distances in search of forage in a landscape dominated by plains and the banks of ancient river systems.

Approximate measurements of the Embolotherium:

• 1:35 Scale Complete
  • Length 108 mm
  • Height 60 mm
  • Width 35 mm
  • Snout-tail base length 108 mm
    
    
• Complete 1:20 Scale
  • Length 189 mm
  • Height 104 mm
  • Width 61 mm
  • Snout-tail base length 189 mm