The Evolution of North American Rhinoceroses

by Donald R. Prothero

• ISBN13: 9780521832403
• ISBN10: 0521832403
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-03-07
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The family Rhinocerotidae has a long and amazing history in North America. From their first appearance about 40 million years ago, they diversified into an incredible array of taxa, with a variety of ecologies that don't resemble any of the five living species. They ranged from delicate long-legged dog-sized forms, to huge hippo-like forms that apparently lived in rivers and lakes. This book includes a systematic review of the entire North American Rhinocerotidae, with complete descriptions, measurements, and figures of every bone in every species - the first such review in over a century. More importantly, it discusses the biogeographic patterns of rhinos, their evolutionary patterns and paleoecology, and what rhinos tell us about the evolution of North American landscapes and faunas over 35 million years. It is a complete and authoritative volume that will be a reference of interest to a variety of scientists for years to come.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(15)
Methods
Specimens, Measurement, and Terminology	4	(2)
Institutional Abbreviations	6	(1)
A Note on Spellings	7	(1)
Variation due to Sexual Dimorphism	7	(3)
Variation in Tooth Crown Patterns	10	(6)
History of Investigations	16	(9)
Systematics	25	(107)
Family Rhinocerotidae
Uintaceras	25	(2)
Teletaceras	27	(2)
Penetrigonias	29	(6)
Trigonias	35	(4)
Amphicaenopus	39	(1)
Subhyracodon	40	(9)
Diceratherium	49	(9)
Skinneroceras	58	(1)
Menoceras	59	(8)
Floridaceras	67	(3)
Galushaceras	70	(1)
Aphelops	71	(11)
Peraceras	82	(11)
Large aceratheriine rhinoceros (genus uncertain)	93	(1)
Teleoceras	94	(30)
Family Rhinocerotidae incertae sedis	124	(5)
Woodoceras	124	(2)
Diceratherium matutinum	126	(1)
Gulfoceras	126	(1)
The Haughton Astrobleme rhino	127	(1)
Giant Arikareean postcranials	127	(2)
Invalid Taxa based on Indeterminate Specimens	129	(3)
Postcranial Osteology	132	(50)
Introduction	132	(1)
Axial Skeleton	132	(14)
Appendicular Skeleton	146	(36)
Biogeography and Diversity Patterns	182	(18)
Introduction	182	(1)
Eocene	182	(3)
Oligocene	185	(4)
Miocene	189	(9)
The Extinction of North American Rhinoceroses	198	(1)
Diversity versus Geography through time	199	(1)
Paleoecology and Evolutionary Patterns	200	(9)
Paleoecology	200	(5)
Evolutionary Patterns	205	(4)
References	209