Trigonias

This article is about the extinct rhinoceros. For the bivalves, see Trigoniidae.
Trigonias
Temporal range: late Eocene[1]
T. osborni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Rhinocerotidae
Genus: †Trigonias
Lucas, 1900
Type species
†Trigonias osborni
Species[2]
  • †T. osborni
  • †T. wellsi
Synonyms
  • †Procaenopus Figgins, 1934[3]

Trigonias is an extinct genus of rhinoceros from the late Eocene (Chadronian) some 35 million years ago of North America (Prothero, 2005).

Restoration by Jay Matternes

It is the oldest rhino of which a well-preserved skeleton has been found. Trigonias was about 2.1 m (7 ft) long and, despite lacking horns, looked a lot like modern rhinos. Its front legs had five toes (as contrasted with three in modern rhinos), the fifth of which was vestigal.[4]

A specimen of T. osborni was estimated to have a weight of about 391.4 kg (862.9 lbs).[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Prothero, 2005, p. 184.
  2. ↑ Prothero, 2005, pp. 35-37.
  3. ↑ Prothero, 2005, p. 35.
  4. ↑ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 264. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
  5. ↑ http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=basicTaxonInfo&taxon_no=52444

References