Arsinoitheriidae
Encyclopedia
Arsinoitheriidae was a family of mammal
s 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 hyrax
es, elephant
s, sirenians, and desmostylia
ns.
found in Turkey. 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. Crivadiatherium
is known from some teeth found in the Romanian province of Transylvania
in the same Late Eocene deposits where the western-most brontothere, Brachydiastematherium
was found.
, where the first fossils of Arsinoitherium
were found near the ruins of her palace.
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s belonging to the extinct order Embrithopoda
Embrithopoda
Embrithopoda is an extinct order of mammals which first appeared in the fossil record during the late Eocene and then died out during the Oligocene....
. Remains have been found in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. When alive, they would have had a great, albeit very superficial, resemblance to the modern rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
. Despite this, they were not closely related to rhinoceri (or any other perissodactyl), instead being more related to hyrax
Hyrax
A hyrax is any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. The rock hyrax Procavia capensis, the yellow-spotted rock hyrax Heterohyrax brucei, the western tree hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis, and the southern tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus live in Africa...
es, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s, sirenians, and desmostylia
Desmostylia
Desmostylia is an extinct order of marine mammals which existed from the Arikareean age of the late Oligocene epoch to the Tortonian age of the late Miocene epoch . Their dental and skeletal form suggests desmostylians were amphibious herbivores dependent on littoral habitats...
ns.
Fossil record
Arsinoitheres first appeared in the fossil record during the Middle Eocene, with the teeth of the primitive PalaeoamasiaPalaeoamasia
Palaeoamasia is an extinct enigmatic genus of Palaeoamasiidae. One specimen has been named Palaeoamasia kansui . It is represented in Eocene deposits of Central Anatolia. Except from Ozansoy 1966 and 1969, Sen and Heintz 1979, Kaya 1995 and Gul 2003 have studied about the genus.-References:*Gül,...
found in Turkey. The last genus is Arsinoitherium
Arsinoitherium
Arsinoitherium is an extinct genus of paenungulate mammal related to elephants, sirenians, hyraxes and the extinct desmostylians, as well as to other extinct embrithopods...
, 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. Crivadiatherium
Crivadiatherium
Crivadiatherium is an extinct genus of Arsinoitheriidae....
is known from some teeth found in the Romanian province of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
in the same Late Eocene deposits where the western-most brontothere, Brachydiastematherium
Brachydiastematherium
Brachydiastematherium transylvanicum is the westernmost species of brontothere, with the first fossils of it being found in Transylvania, Romania. In comparison with other brontothere fossils, it is suggested that B...
was found.
Etymology
The name honors the wife of Ptolemy II, Queen Arsinoe II of EgyptArsinoe II of Egypt
For other uses see, ArsinoeArsinoë II was a Ptolemaic Greek Princess of Ancient Egypt and through marriage was of Queen Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedonia as wife of King Lysimachus and later co-ruler of Egypt with her brother-husband Ptolemy II Philadelphus For other uses see, ArsinoeArsinoë II...
, where the first fossils of Arsinoitherium
Arsinoitherium
Arsinoitherium is an extinct genus of paenungulate mammal related to elephants, sirenians, hyraxes and the extinct desmostylians, as well as to other extinct embrithopods...
were found near the ruins of her palace.