'Siberian unicorn' walked Earth with humans

A giant rhino that may have been the origin of the unicorn myth survived until at least 39,000 years ago - much longer than previously thought. Known as the Siberian unicorn, the animal had a long horn on its nose, and roamed the grasslands of Eurasia. New evidence shows the hefty beast may have eventually died out because it was such a picky eater. Scientists say knowing more about the animal's extinction could help save the remaining rhinos on the planet. Rhinos are in particular danger of extinction because they are very picky about their habitat, said Prof Adrian Lister of the Natural History Museum, London, who led the study. "Any change in their environment is a danger for them," he told BBC News. "And, of course, what we've also learned from the fossil record is that once a species is gone, that's it, it's gone for good." Weighing in at a mighty four tonnes, with an extraordinary single horn on its head, the "Siberian unicorn", shared the earth with early modern humans up until at least 39,000 years ago.

'Siberian unicorn' walked Earth with humans

There are very few rhinos left in the wild. The downfall of this rhino may have been it's diet. It ate tough dry grass and as the Earth warmed the fields of grass shrank.

This would be an impressive creature to see, hunt and eat.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Star and flag but:

Hundreds of large mammal species disappeared after the last Ice Age, due to climate change, loss of vegetation and human hunting.

Surely as the ice melted, there would be more vegetation?

Forgive my ignorance but that just doesn't make sense to me.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Yea I had to think about that one too. I guess what they mean is other plants and trees overtook the tough dry grass it liked to eat.
Dosen't make a lot of sense. I also doubt hunting had much of an impact either.

originally posted by: LookingAtMars
a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Yea I had to think about that one too. I guess what they mean is other plants and trees overtook the tough dry grass it liked to eat.
Dosen't make a lot of sense. I also doubt hunting had much of an impact either.

It's a possible explanation I guess. Still sounds a bit upside down though.

so…. the legends about unicorn's are tru !

we should take moore attentions to "legends" and less to modern scientist who are thinking they know better !

a reply to: ressiv
I've never seen any reason why the modern African rhino should not have been the source of the unicorn myth.
The two main points described by travellers would have been "one horn" and "charging across the plain at high speed".
Europeans hearing that description would have pictured the second point as "horse", and that sets up the image known to the Middle Ages.

Rubbish post with click bite head line.. you must have no life.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

That's no unicorn, it's FAT!!!

Am I allowed to call a unicorn fat?

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: LookingAtMars

Star and flag but:

Hundreds of large mammal species disappeared after the last Ice Age, due to climate change, loss of vegetation and human hunting.

Surely as the ice melted, there would be more vegetation?

Forgive my ignorance but that just doesn't make sense to me.

not necessarily due to where the vegetation was, like Siberia had a different climate before the younger dryas impact event, it was warmer

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: LookingAtMars

Star and flag but:

Hundreds of large mammal species disappeared after the last Ice Age, due to climate change, loss of vegetation and human hunting.

Surely as the ice melted, there would be more vegetation?

Forgive my ignorance but that just doesn't make sense to me.

When a metric sh*t ton of ice melts it probably covers a huge area with water, killing off local veggies maybe. So if the fat unicorn was localised it would die off, and leave the world to the real, lithe unicorns to roam the rainbow infested fields of mud.

Maybe.

originally posted by: Pandaram
Rubbish post with click bite head line.. you must have no life.

Do you mean Click Bait Headlines? Sorry, I thought it was a interesting story.

originally posted by: Jonjonj
a reply to: LookingAtMars

That's no unicorn, it's FAT!!!

Am I allowed to call a unicorn fat?

NO, That's unicorn shaming

originally posted by: LookingAtMars

originally posted by: Jonjonj
a reply to: LookingAtMars

That's no unicorn, it's FAT!!!

Am I allowed to call a unicorn fat?

NO, That's unicorn shaming

I felt that...damn.

On the good side though...we killed a fatty! Fat animals are bad!!

Right?

It's already extinct and you're talking about hunting and eating it. 40,000 years ago, hunting it wouldn't have been so easy or necessary for that matter. Plus, not so sure if it would be tasty. I'm thinking species related to cows, deer, birds, and pigs would taste good. Buffalo and bison too of course. But not the odd rhino unicorn family. You'd need every able bodied warrior from the inbred tribe to do it when there'd be easier sources of food.

a reply to: r0xor

That's what you did back then. There were no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's

Rhino's are clearly the soldiers of the unicorn species as narwhal's were clearly the naval species.

The 'horsey' ones were the lazy aristocracy - I thought everybody knew this