Sinotherium
| "Sinotherium" Temporal range: Miocene–Pliocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sinotherium lagrelli | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Family: | Rhinocerotidae |
| Genus: | Sinotherium |
| Species: | S. lagrelii |
Sinotherium ("Chinese Beast") was a genus of single-horned rhinoceri of the late Miocene and Pliocene. It was ancestral to Elasmotherium, and its fossils have been found in western China. Sinotherium diverged from the ancestral genus, Iranotherium, first found in Iran, during the early Pliocene. Some experts prefer to lump Sinotherium, and Iranotherium into Elasmotherium.
Its synonym, "Paraelasmotherium," is often used to refer to the Miocene specimens.
Sinotherium is one of the largest members of the Rhinocerotidae family and is estimated to have weighed up to 7 tonnes.