Hooijer, D.A., 1976. Phylogeny of the rhinocerotids of Africa. Annals of the South African Museum, Cape Town/Kaapstad 71: 167-168, table 1
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| Location: |
Africa |
| Subject: |
Taxonomy - Evolution |
| Species: |
African Rhino Species |
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The rhinocerotids as here understood comprise the Epiaceratherium- Trigonias group and its descendants. There are 7 genera in Africa, listed in Table 1. Four of them (Brachypotherium, Aceratherium, Dicerorhinus and Chilotheridium) emerge in the Early Miocene. As they represent full-fledged species different from their Eurasiatic counterparts they must have invaded Africa already in the Oligocene.
Brachypotherium sprang from the Oligocene aceratheres. The African Brachypotheriim snowi (Moghara, Egypt), Brachypotherium heinzelini (Bukwa II to Sinda, Zaire), Aceratherium acutirostratum and Dicerorhinus leakeyi (both Napak to Alengerr) combine characters found in different Oligocene to Pliocene European species of the same genera, showing that the phylogeny in Africa was different from that in the rest of the Old World since the Oligocene. Brachypotheriuni lewisi (Ngorora to Lothagam Hill) is the latest representative of its genus in the world.
Chilotheridium pattersoni is the African representative of the Eurasiatic Chilotherium div. spec., and differs in a combination of primitive (presence of metacarpal V, more slender metapodials) as well as progressive (small nasal horn, larger frontal air sinuses) characters.
Diceros appears first in the Late Pliocene of North Africa (Douaria) and Eurasia (Pikermi, Samos, Maragha), and may be derived from the stock represented by Paradiceros mukirii (Fort Ternan). Diceros bicornis of Mursi, Ethiopia, has lower-crowned molars than the modern species (Shungura to Recent).
Ceratotherium praecox (Mpesida to Mtirsi) is the direct ancestor of Ceratotherium simum (Shungura to Recent), and split off from the Diceros stock in the Late Miocene.
Table 1. African rhinocerotids, distribution in space and time
1 = Brachypotherium; 2 = Aceratherium; 3 = Dicerorhinus; 4 = Chilotheridium; 5 = Diceros; 6 = Ceratotherium; 7 = Paradiceros;
Million years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Olduvai IV - Up.II - - - - x x -
Olduvai Lo. II-I 2- - - - - - x -
Chemeron Fm 4-2 - - - - - x -
Shungura Fm 4-2 - - - - x x -
Mursi Fm 4 - - - - x x -
Aterir Fm 4- - - - - - x -
Kanapoi 4 - - - - - x -
Langebaanweg - - - - - x -
Lothagam Hill 6 x - - - - x -
Sahabi 6 x - - - - - -
Mpesida Beds 7 x - - - - x -
Ngorora Fm. 12- x x or x x - - -
Kirimun - x or x x - - -
Douaria 12 - - - - x - -
Alengerr beds 14-12 - x x - - - -
Fort Ternan 14 - - - - - - x
Loperot 18 - - - x - - -
Sinda x x - - - - -
Rusinga 18.5 x x x x - - -
Ombo - - x x - - -
Napak 19 x x x - - - -
Bukwa II 23 x - ? x - - -
Moghara x ? - - - - -
End
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Phylogeny of the rhinocerotids of Africa
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