''Aceratherium'' (Greek: "without (a) horn" (keratos), "beast" (therion)) was a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

of the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Aceratheriinae 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 . Taxonomy Aceratheriinae was named b ...

that lived in

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

during the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

Taxonomy

''Aceratherium'' was coined by Kaup (1832) for ''"Rhinoceros" incisivum'' Cuvier, 1822 on the basis of the similarity of two skulls from Eppelsheim, Germany to the holotype incisor tooth from Weisenau in dental structure. However, the tooth from Weisenau has been recognized as belonging to a member of Teleoceratini, although the name ''Aceratherium'' has been widely used for the Eppelsheim skulls. Traditionally, many species have been referred to ''Aceratherium'' on the basis of them being hornless, turning the genus into a

wastebasket A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. The words "rubbish", "basket" and "bin" are more common in British English usage; "trash" and "can" a ...

. Revisions over the years have removed most species to the point that there are now only three valid species generally recognized (''A. incisivum'', ''A. depereti'', and ''A. porpani'').

Description

''Aceratherium'' reached in length, a height of about and a weight of nearly 1

ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

. Its brachyodont dentition suggest it was a browser which fed on leaves and soft vegetables. It had fairly long limbs compared to other Aceratheriinae, and was proportioned similar to a

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inhabit ...

. Males had tusk-like incisors that were much larger than those of the females.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q141276 Miocene rhinoceroses Miocene mammals of Asia Miocene mammals of Europe Cenozoic animals of Asia Cenozoic mammals of Europe Miocene genus extinctions