Andrewsarchus walking along a beach


The life and habits of Andrewsarchus have been inferred from study of a colossal 83cm skull fossil and a few other pieces of bone. If its body was proportioned to its skull like its nearest relatives, the mesonychids, Andrewsarchus would have measured 5 metres from nose to tail, making it a contender for the title of largest ever carnivorous land mammal. Its teeth and jaws were very strong, indicating a diet that incorporated a lot of hard items such as bone and turtle shell. Andrewsarchus was related to the cloven-hoofed animals, such as pigs and deer, so probably had hooves rather than paws.

Scientific name: Andrewsarchus

Rank: Genus

Common names:

Andrews' ruler

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Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

When they lived


Eocene epoch Eocene epoch


  1. Life
  2. Animals
  3. Vertebrates
  4. Mammals
  5. Mesonychia
  6. Triisodontidae
  7. Andrewsarchus

