It was once thought that the claws were used to dig up roots and tubers, however, the wear on the claws and teeth do not suggest that they dug or ate dirt-rich foods such as tubers. The chalicotheres probably used their claws to strip vegetation from trees and to forage for food.
Chalicotheres did not have front teeth in their upper jaw, and their back teeth show little wear, suggesting that they probably were selective browsers. They lived all over the world in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. By the late Oligocene, they had divided into two groups: One that grazed in open areas and another that was more adapted to woodlands. They died out around 3.5 million years ago.
