Paleobiogeography and chronology of Stephanorhinus etruscus (Falconer, 1858) (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) in Eurasia

PANDOLFI, L.; KOTSAKIS, A.; CODREA, V.; CERDEÑO, E.

Haarlem

Otro; XIV Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists; 2016

European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists

The occurrence of rhinoceroses during the Plio-Pleistocenehas been well documented in Eurasia; several species have taken a considerablebiochronological, palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiogeographic importance sincethe second half of the 20th century. Among others, the so-called Etruscan rhino,Stephanorhinus etruscus, is one ofthe most abundantly recorded and better known Eurasian Early Pleistocene rhinoceros.Nevertheless, the firstand last occurrences of this species, as well as its paleogeographicdistribution, are controversial and debated in literature.S. etruscus is documented since thelatest Pliocene in Spain (Las Higueruelas, Villaroya), Italy (Montopoli),France (Perrier-Les Etouaires), Slovak Republic (Nová Vieska) and Romania (Iarăș-Cariera Veche). Its presencein the Early Villafranchian assemblage of Villafranca d'Asti (Italy, LatePliocene) is here considered doubtfull because the remains were collected froman undefined stratigraphic level. The rhinocerotid skull from Bethlehem (Palestine;latest Pliocene), assigned to "Dicerorhinusetruscus", displays morphological features (e.g., absence of ossifiednasal septum) closer to Dihoplus. Duringthe Early Pleistocene, S. etruscusoccurred in several Spanish, French and Italian localities as well as in TheNetherlands (e.g., Tegelen), Germany (e.g., Thiede), Greece (e.g., Aivaliki), Georgia (e.g., Dmanisi),Israel (e.g., Ubeidiya) and maybe Anatolia (Denizli Basin). The last occurrence of S. etruscus in Eurasia is debatabled.The rhinoceros remains from Pietrafitta (Italy, late Early Pleistocene),previously classified as S. cf. hundsheimensis, are here referred to S. etruscus based on cranial andpostcranial morphologies. Etruscan rhino populations survived till theJaramillo subchrone (around 1.1 Ma) in France (Bois-de-Riquet), Romania (Betfia XII) andHungary (Osztramos 2 and 8), and close to the Early-MiddlePleistocene transition in Spain (Cueva Victoria, Huéscar 1, Atapuerca TD4, TD6 and TD8) and Italy (Monte delle Piche). Around 1.2 Ma, S. hundsheimensis also occurred in Europe and seems to be coevalwith S. etruscus during the latestEarly Pleistocene, but the two species did not occur at the same localities. S. hundsheimensis has been recorded inSpain (Vallès-Penedèsbasin), Italy (Leffe basin level 5), France (Vallonnet), Germany(Untermassfeld), Slovak Republic (Gombasek), Romania (Betfia V, Brașov,Feldioara Cetate and Carieră, Rotbav-D. Țiganilor, Subpiatră) and Greece (Platanochori-1).