Extinction has robbed us of so much.

As some of you may be aware, my favorite animal is the relatively understudied and unappreciated Chalicothere. (Of course, part of the reason why it's understudied and unappreciated is that, simply, it doesn't exist anymore.)

I've often wondered what exactly it would be like to come upon one of these lovely lumbering beasts in some prehistoric forest, and, glancing at the claws it used to snag itself those tender little branches, I think I would have run rapidly in the opposite direction. Or maybe I would have played dead. And tried very hard not to look threatening. Or like a leaf.

But I still really, really like Chalicotheres. I'm not sure why; I think it has something to do with the fact that they walk on their knuckles. Or at least some do. Not all species. Um.

And also, I think it's pretty cool that their closest relative in the modern mammal world is the horse. Wow. Horses. They're like Chalicotheres without the claws. And also they eat grass, whereas Chalicotheres ate tender leaves. Leaves...yeah.

Okay. So sometimes when we love something, we can't explain exactly why; we just do, and so it is thusly forever and ever. And I think Chalicotheres are awesome and I really really wish they were still around and I think it is beyond awesome that I got to see the skeleton of one in the Field Museum in Chicago. (Please see the helpfully arrowed skeleton below.)

And here you can see the Chalicothere all afleshed. (In ink, I guess.) And again, I apologize for my unsteady blur-inducing hand.

But alas, after seeing the Chalicothere in the...not flesh, in the bone, I guess, I know even more fully that extinction has rid us of one of the planet's most brightly shining jewels. And that makes me feel really rather sad.