Diceros praecox

Diceros praecox is an extinct species of rhinoceros that lived in Africa during the Pliocene, around 4 million years ago.[1] It is considered the direct ancestor of the living black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).[2]

Diceros praecox
Temporal range: Pliocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinocerotidae
Genus: Diceros
Species:
†D. praecox
Binomial name
†Diceros praecox
Hooijer & Patterson, 1972
Synonyms

Ceratotherium praecox

Taxonomy

Diceros praecox has for many years been classified as Ceratotherium praecox, however the original material describing the species has been shown to be closer to the black rhinoceros in its skull morphology. Other material showing greater similarities with the white rhinoceros are considered to belong to a different species, Ceratotherium mauritanicum.[3] D. praecox likely arose from Ceratotherium neumayri.[2]

Description

The teeth of D. praecox are similar to those of Ceratotherium neumayri. However, the longer skull suggests increased browsing specialization. The break-off of Diceros from Ceratotherium probably indicates ecological divergence and character displacement between browsing versus grazing specializations.[2]

References
  1. Kingdon, Jonathan (2013). Mammals of Africa: Volumes I-VI. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 455. ISBN 9781408189962.
  2. Geraads, Denis (2005). "Pliocene Rhinocerotidae (Mammalia) from Hadar and Dikka (Lower Awash, Ethiopia), and a revision of the origin of modern African rhinos" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 25 (2): 451–461. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0451:PRMFHA]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 4524458.
  3. Werdelin, Lars; Sanders, William Joseph (2010). Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. University of California Press. p. 679. ISBN 9780520257214.


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