Merck's Rhinoceros

Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis

Resurrected on:

23 aug. 2020

Genus information

Stephanorhinus is a genus of two-horned rhinoceros that lived during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epoch of Northern Eurasia and possibly Northern Africa. It was the predominant and often only species of rhinoceros to be found during its time. Several species are known within the genus and most of them were large in size, comparable to that of the extant White Rhinoceros. They lived in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dense forests to open plains, and fed on grasses, bushes or trees.

Family:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Rhinocerotidae

Eurasia

Pliocene to Pleistocene

Species information

The Merck's Rhinoceros, sometimes referred to as the Forest Rhinoceros, was the largest species of its genus and lived during the Pleistocene epoch of Northern Eurasia. It could grow up to 3.7 meters in length and weighted about 3.000 kg! It stood fairly high on its legs and its head was more horizontally positioned, meaning it was mainly a browser. It lived in dense forests throughout Northern Eurasia and was sometimes found in savanna-like habitat.

Species:

Paleontologist:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis

Jäger, 1839

Eurasia

Pleistocene

Length:

Height:

Weight:

3.7 m

2.0 m

3.000 kg

Reference:

Kirillova, I. V., Chernova, O. F., van der Made, J., Kukarskih, V. V., Shapiro, B., van der Plicht, J., ... & Zanina, O. G. (2017). Discovery of the skull of Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis (Jäger, 1839) above the Arctic Circle. Quaternary Research, 88(3), 537-550.