A page of handwritten notes on lined, dirty refill paper. Headline: Minimammoth.
Body text. One of the more successful really omnivorous critters. Frequent pests on farms, but no less dangerous for their preference for plant food.
Illustration: a pencil sketch of an elephant-like beast with small ears and a thick covering of fur.
Text continues. Their anatomy is surprising, given their habits and appearance. Dentition in particular is almost identical to that of a domestic dog, and many of the alterations to the skeleton as a whole are superficial. The “tusks” are actually antlers or antler-like appendages sprouting from the upper jaw, just above the canine tooth (which is still present). Tusks are shed in late spring and regrow throughout summer, when food is plentiful.
Illustrations: pencil sketches of a curved shape with a flat base, labelled “shed tusk,” and a dog mandible labelled “lower jaw.”
Text continues: On close examination, it’s frankly really obvious that this was a hack job by whichever team engineered it. Minimammoth are basically dogs, right down to the digestion and foot anatomy, with antler tusks, shaggy yak hair, and trunks grafted on. The fact that they’re among the more common pests, and consummate survivors, says more about biology than any of the textbooks I’ve scrounged. Dozens of better-thought-out critters have gone extinct, but minimammoths are still leaving their weird doggy footprints all over our world.
Illustration: a pencil sketch of a footprint very similar to a dog’s, with a thick halo of fur.