Arsinoitheriidae

Arsinoitheriids
Temporal range: Late Eocene - Early Oligocene
Skeleton of Arsinoitherium zitteli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Afrotheria
Order: †Embrithopoda
Family: †Arsinoitheriidae
Andrews, 1904
Genus

Arsinoitheriidae is a family of extinct hoofed mammals belonging to the extinct order Embrithopoda. Remains have been found in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Romania. When alive, they would have had a great, albeit very superficial, resemblance to the modern rhinoceros. Despite this, they were not closely related to rhinoceri (or any other perissodactyl), instead being more related to hyraxes, elephants, sirenians, and possibly desmostylians.

Fossil record

Reconstruction of an undetermined Arsinoitherium species
Arsinoitherium zitteli skull

The last genus is Arsinoitherium, itself, being first found in the Latest Eocene of the Fayum, then disappearing from the fossil record altogether before the end of the Early Oligocene. '

Etymology

The name honors the wife of Ptolemy II, Queen Arsinoe II of Egypt, as the first fossils of Arsinoitherium were found near the ruins of her palace.

References

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