8. Macrauchenia
On an elephant (or indeed a deinotherium) this nose would look fine. On a macrauchenia, however, it doesn't. It's like seeing a cat with a dorsal fin. Mother Nature has so many gifts to dole out but you have to know how to rock it. Probably called Gonzo by the school bullies, macrauchenia also had to contend with the unique but equally undesirable trait of having nostril openings on the top of its skull rather than at the front where all the normal people have them. Its torso seems slightly too large in comparison to its legs and it was noted for having a relatively small head. Even more embarrassingly, macrauchenias name is derived from the Latin for long llama, which is one of the most unappealing comparisons one could hope for when being named by a scientist. Incidentally, the first macrauchenia fossil was actually discovered by Darwin. However, like a true misfit, this trunk-bearing long-llama isn't actually very closely related to llamas, camels or even elephants. Its three-toed legs are not dissimilar to those of a rhino but it's also largely unrelated to this group too. In truth, it is likely that the macrauchenia was sent to an early grave after being out-competed by other herbivorous mammals before it got chance to evolve into anything we recognise today (although it does get the odd cameo in the Ice Age films). What a legacy; being driven to extinction by a bunch of primordial cows and sheep.
Peter Austin
Peter Austin initially joined WhatCulture as an occasional contributor to our Film, Gaming and Science sections, but made the mistake of telling us that he'd been making videos in his bedroom for over a decade. Since then he's been a vital member of our YouTube team and routinely sets the standard for smart-casual wear in the office.
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