Ceratogaulus
Group placental mammals
Date Middle to late Miocene
Size 30cm long
Location Canada, USA
Ceretogaulus was a burrowing rodent distinguished by a pair of straight horns on its nose. It was roughly the size of a modern mart, but more closely resembled a gopher, with its strong forelimbs equipped with huge claws. The role of the horns has been much debated. It has been suggested that they were used for digging, but they were not in the correct position. Both males and females had horns. So they are unlikely to have been used for display during courtship. It is now thought that the horns were used as defensive weapons when the animal was out in the open, away from the safety of its burrow.