Floridaceras
Extinct genus of rhinoceros
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Floridaceras is an extinct genus of rhinocerotid of the Miocene epoch (early Hemingfordian), endemic to North America, living from around ~20.6–16.3 Ma, existing for approximately 4.3 million years.
| Floridaceras Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossil vertebrae, Florida Museum of Natural History | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Family: | Rhinocerotidae |
| Subfamily: | †Aceratheriinae |
| Genus: | †Floridaceras Wood, 1964 |
| Species: | †F. whitei |
| Binomial name | |
| †Floridaceras whitei Wood, 1964 | |
Taxonomy
Floridaceras was named by Wood (1964). Its type is Floridaceras whitei. It was assigned to Rhinocerotidae by Wood (1964) and Carroll (1988); and to Aceratheriinae by Prothero (1998).[1]
Fossil distribution
The only site known is the Thomas Farm Site in Gilchrist County, Florida, ~20.6–16.3 Ma.[2]
Description
Floridaceras was of unusually large size for a rhinoceros of the Hemingfordian. It would have been roughly comparable to a black rhinoceros[3] in size, much larger than contemporaries such as the Menoceras. Like many primitive Aceratheriines, it has no horn, relatively long limbs and brachydont dentition (indicating it was a browser).[4]
