This is a group of animals I call the Choerocaballids, or "Pig-horses". It is in fact no relation to either pigs or horses, but descendants of elephant shrews. Elephant shrews start off in Africa, as we know today. This family is actually the earliest step to elephant shrews evolving into the therapeds. Most are semi-carnivorous and quadrupeds. The earliest species is Ropalacodas, which resembles a pig with dog-like feet and a long thick tail tipped with a blunt club. The tail is the main method of defense against the harsh African predators of the Metazoic. They use this tail to swat at predators. When that does not work, Ropalacodas has sharp tusks to gore predators with, and a bad attitude, and it usually scares the attackers off.
The branch-off family of Therapeds began in Asia actually, but the Choerocaballids make it to the New World before that happens once Africa collides with Europe and Asia collides with North America. It is Terazodus that migrates to Europe and thus evolves into the Therapeds. Terazodus is a compact, horse-like animal that lives in herds and is often herding with antelope. This is what leads them into the new world of Europe. They actually adapt quite well there and it is the vast forests that allows these animals to stand upright and become the Therapeds. Terazodus will sometimes stand on their hind legs to reach the lower levels of tree branches to feed on, or to scan for predators. But since Terazodus is not a native to Europe or Asia, they tend to want to head back to their homeland of Africa. These animals are very horse-like in appearance, until you get to the feet and tail. The feet are rather dog-like, and the tail is very long, and males of the species have stone-like growths on the end of the tail they use to smack at a predator, much like Ropalacodas. Usually when they are running from a predator, the first thing that gets grabbed is the tail, the tail of these animals is powerful enough to shake the predator off, and then swat it with the sharp projections at the end of the tail to stun the predator from attacking it again. Unlike Ropalacodas, these animals are not equipped with slashing tusks, so they rely heavily on their tail for protection.
In Europe, these animals often side up with herding European antelope species and migrate to the New World with them. This is how they conquer the Americas. The last species to evolve is Choerocaballus in the New World, it is a very horse-like animal with a relatively short, thick tail. No clubs or spikes at the end of the tail, as this animal relies more on speed to save it from predators. The feet are more hooved than in any other member of this family, thus making them more streamlined for running. They live in large herds, much like Terazodus. But unlike Terazodus, they travel with their own species, instead of siding with herds of antelope or any other ungulates. They are highly alert, for by the time these animals reach the New World, the Deinognathids have evolved to prey on them! With them, and large predatory rats, and mongooses the size of pickup trucks, the world of Choerocaballus is a truly scary world!!
No member of this family is truly very large. Some species of Ropalacodas can reach 10 feet in length, not counting the tail. But they are rather squat animals that are only about 4 or 5 feet tall. For the most part, these animals are no bigger than average horses. They all have an omnivorous diet, feeding on anything they can find, any vegetation, insects, berries, fruits, bird eggs, and small vertebrates in their range.
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