Prosantorhinus

Last updated

Prosantorhinus
Temporal range: Miocene
Prosantorhinus sp.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinocerotidae
Subfamily: Aceratheriinae
Genus: Prosantorhinus
Heissig, 1973 [1]
Species

Prosantorhinus douvillei
Prosantorhinus germanicus
Prosantorhinus shahbazi

Prosantorhinus is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid from the lower and middle Miocene. The small teleoceratine rhinocerotid was found in western Europe and Asia. [2]

Description

Posantorhinus was a similarly sized animal to the Sumatran rhinoceros, it stood at around 4'3" (130 cm) at the shoulder and was about 9'6" (290cm) long, weight estimates however are considerably bigger due to its considerably deeper chest. [3]

Posantorhinus ' body plan is stubbier than other rhinoceros', adding to that Posantorhinus 'brachyodont molars it would seem to suggest Posantorhinus led a semiaquatic life, similar to a hippopotamus, possibly feeding on fresh water plants. [4] [5]

The rugged texture at the tip of its snout could suggest the existence of one, maybe two, small horns; [6] however it has been traditionally reconstructed with a fleshy bump.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desman</span> Subfamily of Eurasian insectivores

Desmans are diving insectivores of the tribe Desmanini in the mole family, Talpidae.

<i>Ouranopithecus</i> Genus of extinct Eurasian great ape from the Miocene

Ouranopithecus is a genus of extinct Eurasian great ape represented by two species, Ouranopithecus macedoniensis, a late Miocene hominoid from Greece and Ouranopithecus turkae, also from the late Miocene of Turkey.

<i>Ancylotherium</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Ancylotherium is an extinct genus of the family Chalicotheriidae, subfamily Schizotheriinae, endemic to Europe, Asia, and Africa during the Late Miocene-Early Pleistocene, existing for approximately 9.8 million years.

<i>Amphicyon</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Amphicyon is an extinct genus of large carnivorans belonging to the family Amphicyonidae, subfamily Amphicyoninae, from the Miocene epoch. Members of this family received their vernacular name for possessing bear-like and dog-like features. They ranged over North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Kenyapotamus is a possible ancestor of living hippopotamuses that lived roughly 16 million to 8 million years ago during the Miocene epoch. Its name reflects that its fossils were first found in modern-day Kenya.

<i>Trachyphonus</i> Genus of birds

The African terrestrial barbets are the bird genus Trachyphonus in the African barbet family (Lybiidae), which was formerly included in the Capitonidae and sometimes in the Ramphastidae. These birds are more terrestrial than the other African barbets and differ in some other respects too; they are thus separated in a monotypic subfamily Trachyphoninae.

<i>Prolagus</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Prolagus is an extinct genus of lagomorph. Over 20 species have been named, and the genus was abundant and widespread in Europe during the Neogene. However, by the end of the Middle Pleistocene, it was confined to a single species, the Sardinian pika, on the Corsica, Sardinia, and surrounding islands, where it survived into historical times. In North Africa and Western Asia, the genus is known from the Miocene and Pliocene. The scientific name may mean "before hares" or "primitive hares". Its taxonomy is disputed, with it either being considered a member of the family Ochotonidae, which includes living pikas, or the only member of the family Prolagidae.

The European Land Mammal Mega Zones are zones in rock layers that have a specific assemblage of fossils (biozones) based on occurrences of fossil assemblages of European land mammals. These biozones cover most of the Cenozoic, with particular focus having been paid to the Neogene and Paleogene systems, the Quaternary has several competing systems. In cases when fossils of mammals are abundant, stratigraphers and paleontologists can use these biozones as a more practical regional alternative to the stages of the official ICS geologic timescale. European Land Mammal Mega Zones are often also confusingly referred to as ages, stages, or intervals.

<i>Hispanotherium</i> Extinct genus of mammal

Hispanotherium is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid of the tribe Elasmotheriini endemic to Europe and Asia during the Miocene living from 16—7.25 mya existing for approximately 8.75 million years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aceratheriinae</span> Extinct subfamily of mammals

Aceratheriinae is an extinct subfamily of rhinoceros endemic to Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, from the Oligocene through the Pliocene. It lived from 33.9 to 3.4 mya, existing for approximately 30.5 million years.

<i>Aceratherium</i> Extinct genus of rhinoceros

Aceratherium is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid of the subfamily Aceratheriinae that lived in Eurasia during the Miocene.

<i>Stephanorhinus</i> Extinct genus of rhinoceros

Stephanorhinus is an extinct genus of two-horned rhinoceros native to Eurasia and North Africa that lived during the Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene. Species of Stephanorhinus were the predominant and often only species of rhinoceros in much of temperate Eurasia, especially Europe, for most of the Pleistocene. The last two species of Stephanorhinus – Merck's rhinoceros and the narrow-nosed rhinoceros – went extinct during the last glacial period.

<i>Brachypotherium</i> Extinct genus of rhinoceros

Brachypotherium is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid that lived in Eurasia and Africa during the Miocene. A first upper decidual molar referrable to Brachypotherium brachypus was found during gold mining in New Caledonia during the 19th century, being misidentified as a species of marsupial known as Zygomaturus. However, rhinoceros were never native to New Caledonia, and the tooth was probably used as jewelry by a French convict deported there.

<i>Cynohyaenodon</i> Extinct family of mammals

Cynohyaenodon is an extinct paraphyletic genus of placental mammals from extinct family Hyaenodontidae that lived from the early to middle Eocene in Europe.

<i>Prolagus oeningensis</i> Extinct species of mammal

Prolagus oeningensis is an extinct lagomorph and the type species of its genus, Prolagus. It lived from 15.97 to 7.75 Ma, existing for about 8 million years.

<i>Aureliachoerus</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Aureliachoerus was an extinct genus of suids that existed during the Miocene in Europe.

<i>Dihoplus</i> Extinct genus of rhinoceros

Dihoplus is an extinct genus of rhinoceros that lived in Eurasia from the Late Miocene to Pliocene.

Mesopotamocnus is an extinct genus of megalonychid ground sloth that lived during the Late Miocene in what is now Argentina. Fossils have been found in the Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanitheriidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Sanitheriidae were extinct family of suoid artiodactyl ungulates that were once widely distributed in Africa, Europe, and South Asia, existing from the Early Miocene to the Middle Miocene. Unlike pigs and peccaries, the dentition and limb morphology suggests the sanitheres were more carnivorous and cursorial. The dentition in particular is similar to early ruminants. Only two genera are recognized Sanitherium and Diamantohyus.

Myacyon is an extinct genus of large sized carnivoran mammals, belonging to the family Amphicyonidae, that lived in Africa during the Miocene epoch. Due to the limited scope and fragmentary nature of the severely damaged holotype, as well as the illustrations in its descriptions, which have been called inadequate, usage of this genus poses serious issues. However, it is notable for being one of the last surviving members of its family and its adaptions to hypercarnivory. Its relationships to other amphicyonids are obscure, and it is not closely related to Bonisicyon, the other late surviving African genus, although it has been proposed that it descends from a species of Cynelos or Namibiocyon.

References

  1. "Prosantorhinus". Fossilworks.
  2. Antoine, P-O.; Bulot, C.; Ginsburg, L. (2000). "Une faune rare de rhinocérotidés (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) dan le Miocène inférieur de Pellecahus (Gers, France)". Geobios. 33 (2): 249–255. Bibcode:2000Geobi..33..249A. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(00)80022-4.
  3. Hernández Fernández, Manuel; Ansón, Marco. "Artistic reconstruction of the appearance of Prosantorhinus Heissig, 1974, the teleoceratine rhinoceros from the Middle Miocene of Somosaguas". ResearchGate. Spanish Journal of Paleontology. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  4. Agustí, Jordi; Antón, Mauricio (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. Columbia University Press. p. 113. ISBN   9780231116411.
  5. Heissig, K. (1999): Family Rhinocerotidae. - In: Rossner, G. E. & Heissig, K. (Eds.): The Miocene Land Mammals of Europe, 175-188; Munich (Pfeil).
  6. Cerdeño, Esperanza (1996-01-01). "Prosantorhinus, the small teleoceratinerhinocerotid from the Miocene of Western Europe". Geobios. 29 (1): 111–124. Bibcode:1996Geobi..29..111C. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(96)80077-5. ISSN   0016-6995 . Retrieved 2021-09-21.