The Imperial Walkers from Star Wars were inspired by the largest land mammal ever discovered!
Paraceratherium is an extinct giant, hornless rhinoceros-like mammal. It lived in Eurasia and Asia during the Oligocene epoch. Its remains were first discovered in Pakistan in 1910 by an English paleontologist.
It is considered the largest land mammal known with an average mass of 12 tons. The largest individual known was 16 feet tall at the shoulders and 26.2 feet in length and weighted 18 tons. Despite their large size, Paraceratheriums were herbivores that ate leaves.
According to the movie’s special effects creator, Phil Tippett, Paraceratherium was the inspiration for the AT-AT walkers in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.