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Unicorns are present in cinematographic and literary works throughout cultural history. Nowadays, we also find them in short stories and comics for kids. This beautiful and attractive animal undoubtedly captures people's attention, as it has always been presented in a striking way and, in many cases, is connected to the exploits of those who star in various legends. However, nowadays this animal is not present in the vast description of the living species that inhabit the planet.
But then, where do the stories about these animals come from, did they ever inhabit the Earth? We invite you to read this PeritoAnimal article to find out if unicorn exists or has existed and get to know all about the real unicorn better. Good reading.
the unicorn legend
Does a unicorn exist? Reports about the unicorn date back many years, in fact, exist for centuries. And there are different approaches to the possible origins of the legend of this mythical animal. One of them corresponds to approximately 400 BC, and is found in an account written by the Greek physician Ctesias of Knidus, which he called Indica. In this report, a description is made of northern India, highlighting the country's fauna and the unicorn is mentioned as a wild animal, similar to a horse or a donkey, but with white, blue eyes and the presence of a horn. about 70 cm long.
According to the reference, this horn had medicinal properties, so that it could alleviate certain ailments. Other Greek characters who also alluded to one-horned animals were Aristotle and Strabo, as well as the Roman ancient Pliny. The Roman writer Elianus, in his work on the nature of animals, quotes Ctesias as saying that in India it is possible to find horses with the presence of a single horn.
On the other hand, some Bible translations have interpreted the Hebrew word "restrain" as "unicorn", while other scriptural versions have given it the meaning of "rhinoceros", "ox", "buffalo", "bull" or "auroch". probably because there was no clarity about the true meaning of the term. Later, however, scholars translated the word as "wild oxen’.
Another story that gave rise to the existence of these animals is that, in the Middle Ages, the supposed unicorn horn was highly coveted for its apparent benefits, but also because it became a prestigious object for whoever possessed it. Currently, it has been identified that many of these pieces found in some museums correspond to the tooth of a narwhal (Monodon monoceros), which are toothed cetaceans in which there is the presence of a large helical prey in male specimens, which protrude considerably reaching an average length of 2 meters.
Thus, it is estimated that the Vikings of the time and the inhabitants of Greenland, to meet the demand for unicorn horns in Europe, took these teeth by passing them on as horns because Europeans at the time did not know of narwhal, which was native to the Arctic and North Atlantic.
It has also been suggested that many of the horns marketed as unicorns were actually rhinos. But after all, unicorn exists or ever existed? Now that we know some of the most popular legends and stories that put this animal on the planet, let's talk about the real unicorn next.
And since we're talking about unicorns, maybe you might be interested in this other article where we talk about whether the kraken of mythology really existed.
the real unicorn
The true story of unicorns is related to an animal that was known as elasmotherium, giant unicorn or Siberian unicorn, which actually would be the animal we can call a unicorn, which, by the way, is extinct and belonged to the species Elasmotherium sibiricum, so it was more like a giant rhinoceros than a horse. This giant rhinoceros lived in the late Pleistocene and inhabited Eurasia. It was taxonomically placed in the order Perissodactyla, the family Rhinocerotidae and the extinct genus Elasmotherium.
The main characteristic of this animal was the presence of a large horn, about 2 meters long, considerably thick, probably a product of the union of the two horns that some species of rhinos possess. This feature, according to some scientists, may be the true origin of the unicorn story.
The giant rhino shared the habitat with another extinct species of rhino and elephants. It was established by the discovery of its teeth that it was a herbivorous animal specialized in grass consumption. These ice age giants were twice the weight of their relatives, so it is estimated that they weighed an average of 3.5 tons. In addition, they had a prominent hump and were most likely capable of running at high speed. Although with several previous fixes, lately it has been stated that this species lived until at least 39,000 years ago. It has also been suggested that he existed at the same time as late Neanderthals and modern humans.
Although it is not excluded that mass hunting may have led to their extinction, there is no concrete evidence in this regard. The indications point more to the fact that it was an unusual species, with a low population rate and that it suffered from the climate changes of the time, which finally caused its disappearance. Now the unicorn exists only in legends and stories.
Evidence that the unicorn existed
considering the species Elasmotherium sibiricum like the real unicorn, there is plenty of fossil evidence for its existence. Did the unicorn exist, then? Well, as we know them today, no, because there is no evidence of its presence on the planet..
Returning to the presence of the giant rhino cataloged as a "unicorn", a large number of skeletal remains of the species have been found in Europe and Asia, mainly dental pieces, skull and jaw bones; many of these remains were found at sites in Russia. Experts have suggested that the species exhibited sexual dimorphism due to certain differences and similarities found in several adult skulls, especially linked to the size of certain areas of the bone structure.
More recently, scientists were able to isolate the DNA of the Siberian unicorn, which allowed them to establish the location of the Elasmotherium sibiricum, as well as the rest of the group belonging to the genus Elastrotherium and also clarify the evolutionary origin of rhinos. Learn more about current types of rhinos in this other article.
One of the most important conclusions of the studies is that modern rhinos separated from their ancestors about 43 million years ago and the giant unicorn it was the last species of this ancient lineage of animals.
In articles like these we see that animals not only surprise us for their real existence, but also for the emergence of myths and legends that, although they often have their origin in the real presence of an animal, by adding fantastic aspects they generate attraction and curiosity, the which ends up promoting the desire to learn more about the species that inspired these stories. On the other hand, we also see how the fossil record is an invaluable aspect, because only from its study it is possible to reach important conclusions about the evolutionary past of the species that inhabit the planet and the possible causes that led to the extinction of many, as is the case of the real unicorn.
Now that you know the answer when someone asks if the unicorn exists, maybe you might be interested in this video about the biggest animals in the world already found:
If you want to read more articles similar to Does unicorn exist or has it ever existed?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.