Miocene rhinoceroses from the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain
Abstract
Four species of rhinoceros occur together in the Barstovian (middle Miocene) faunas of southeast Texas, a unique situation in the Miocene of North America. Two are assigned to normal contemporary High Plains species ofAphelopsandTeleoceras, and two to dwarf species ofPeracerasandTeleoceras. The dwarfPeracerasis a new species,P. hessei. The dwarfTeleocerasis assigned to Leidy's (1865) species "Rhinoceros"meridianus, previously referred toAphelops. "Aphelops"profectusis here reassigned toPeraceras.The late Arikareean (early Miocene) Derrick Farm rhino, erroneously referred to "Caenopus premitis" by Wood and Wood (1937), is here referred toMenoceras arikarense. Menoceras barbouriis reported from the early Hemingfordian (early Miocene) Garvin Gully local fauna of southeast Texas. The rhinos from the early Clarendonian Lapara Creek Fauna are tentatively referred toTeleocerascf.major.The three common genera of middle late Miocene rhinoceroses of North America (Aphelops, Peraceras, Teleoceras) are rediagnosed.AphelopsandPeracerasare more closely related to the EurasianAceratheriumandChilotherium(all four together forming the Aceratheriinae) than they are to the AmericanTeleoceras. Contrary to Heissig (1973),Teleocerasis more closely related to the living rhinoceroses and their kin (together forming the Rhinocerotini) than it is to the Aceratheriinae.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Paleontology
- Pub Date:
- March 1987
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0022336000028559
- Bibcode:
- 1987JPal...61..388P