baluchitheria
|ba-lu-chi-the-ri-a|
🇺🇸
/bəˌluːˈkɪθəriə/
🇬🇧
/bəˌluːˈkɪθ(ə)rɪə/
giant beast from Baluchistan
Etymology
'baluchitheria' originates from New Latin, specifically the name 'Baluchitherium,' where 'Baluchi-' refers to Baluchistan (the region where early fossils were found) and '-therium' comes from Greek 'thērion' meaning 'beast'.
'baluchitheria' developed from the genus name 'Baluchitherium' (used in 19th–20th century paleontology) and is related to other historical names like 'Indricotherium' and 'Paraceratherium'; over time these names have been revised and synonymized as paleontological taxonomy changed.
Initially it denoted the 'Baluchi beast' in reference to the locality and was used as a genus name; over time the term has been applied more broadly to refer to the group of giant hornless rhinocerotoids (paraceratheres).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an extinct group (sometimes used as a genus name) of very large, hornless rhinocerotoid mammals (paraceratheres) that lived in parts of Asia during the Oligocene–Miocene; often associated with names such as Baluchitherium, Paraceratherium, or Indricotherium.
Fossils of baluchitheria show they were among the largest land mammals ever.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/08 14:08