Juxia
Introduction

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***Juxia***, ‘joo\-she\-a’, (from ) is an extinct [genus](/wiki/Genus "Genus") of [paraceratheriid](/wiki/Paraceratheriidae "Paraceratheriidae"), a group of herbivorous [mammals](/wiki/Mammals "Mammals") that are related to the modern [rhinoceros](/wiki/Rhinoceros "Rhinoceros"). The type species is *Juxia sharamurenensis*, named by [Zhou Mingzhen](/wiki/Zhou_Mingzhen "Zhou Mingzhen") and  in 1964\. *Juxia* was around the size of a [horse](/wiki/Horse "Horse"). It lived in [Asia](/wiki/Asia "Asia") during the upper [Eocene](/wiki/Eocene "Eocene").
[thumb\|left\|Skull and neck of a mounted specimen of *Juxia sharamurenense*, [Paleozoological Museum of China](/wiki/Paleozoological_Museum_of_China "Paleozoological Museum of China")](/wiki/File:JuxiaSharamurenense-PaleozoologicalMuseumOfChina-May23-08.jpg "JuxiaSharamurenense-PaleozoologicalMuseumOfChina-May23-08.jpg") 
As an early indricothere, *Juxia* was a relatively small compared to its later relatives, with a body mass estimated at  or , held by elongated long legs and small skull firmly attached to a relatively long neck. Based on its triangular like teeth and sharp protruding incisors, *Juxia* was probably a strict browser, feeding on ferns and leaves on branches where most herbivorous mammals could not reach. In terms of habitat, *Juxia* lived in densely lush and tropical forests of what is now [China](/wiki/China "China"). Though a few skeletons have been found, it is unclear whether this early indricothere was permanently solitary or lived in small social groups, possibly [harems](/wiki/Harem_%28zoology%29 "Harem (zoology)"). Based on its morphology, *Juxia'*s long legs probably enabled it to run relatively fast for a limited duration. This was probably a defense mechanism against early mammalian predators.


Why would Juxia's long legs have been useful?