''Ceratotherium'' (from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: ''keras'' κέρας "horn" and ''thērion'' θηρίον "beast") is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

within the family

Rhinocerotidae A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

. It comprises one living species, the

white rhinoceros The white rhinoceros, also known as the white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum''), is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the most Sociality, social of all rhino species, characterized by its wide mouth adapted f ...

(''Ceratotherium simum''), and several extinct fossil species that trace its evolutionary lineage.

Taxonomy and evolution

The genus ''Ceratotherium'' belongs to the tribe Dicerotini (also spelled Diceroti) or subtribe Dicerotina, indicating a closer evolutionary relationship to the genus '' Diceros'' (which includes the

black rhinoceros The black rhinoceros (''Diceros bicornis''), also called the black rhino or the hooked-lip rhinoceros, is a species of rhinoceros native to East Africa, East and Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Moza ...

) than to other extant rhinoceros genera. The evolutionary history of ''Ceratotherium'' includes several recognized and debated fossil species: * '' Ceratotherium mauritanicum'': An extinct species known from the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

of North Africa. Some Pliocene East African remains, alternatively attributed by some authors to ''Ceratotherium efficax'', are sometimes included in ''C. mauritanicum''. Depending on the inclusion of these East African materials, ''C. mauritanicum'' has been considered either ancestral to the modern white rhinoceros or a distinct evolutionary offshoot. * ''Ceratotherium praecox'': Remains from the Late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

and Pliocene (approximately 7–3 million years ago) of East Africa were once assigned to this species. However, ''C. praecox'' is now largely considered a member of the genus ''Diceros'' (as '' Diceros praecox''), primarily because its type material aligns more closely with that genus. Some fossil material historically attributed to ''C. praecox'' may still represent true, albeit currently unassigned, ''Ceratotherium'' material. * ''" Ceratotherium" neumayri''?: This Late Miocene species from Europe and Western Asia is questionably placed within ''Ceratotherium''. Some studies suggest it may be more closely related to ''Diceros'', ancestral to both genera, or represent an early offshoot. Alternative classifications have assigned it to ''Diceros'' or the monotypic genus ''Miodiceros''. * ''Ceratotherium germanoafricanum'': This taxon encompasses remains from East Africa dating from approximately 3 to 1 million years ago. Some researchers propose it as a potential ancestor to the modern white rhinoceros. Others view it as a subspecies of ''C. simum'' or assign these fossils to other species like ''C. mauritanicum''. * Other potential early relatives and disputed species: * ''Ceratotherium advenientis'': Known from the Late Miocene of southern Italy (then part of the African plate). * ''"Ceratotherium" douariense'': From the Late Miocene of Tunisia (around 7 million years ago). Its assignment to ''Ceratotherium'' is debated, with some authors placing it in ''Diceros'' (as ''Diceros douariensis''). * ''Ceratotherium? primaevum'': Reported from Algeria (around 10 million years ago), with other possible remains from East Africa. Its generic placement remains uncertain. The earliest fossils definitively attributed to the extant

(''Ceratotherium simum'') date to the Early Pleistocene in East Africa, approximately 1–2 million years ago, although the exact timing can vary depending on which specific fossil remains are included in the species' diagnosis.

References

Mammal genera with one living species Taxa named by John Edward Gray Dicerotini Extant Tortonian first appearances {{oddtoedungulate-stub