The Evolution of North American Rhinoceroses

The family Rhinocerotidae has a long and amazing history in North America. From their first appearance about forty million years ago, they diversified into an incredible array of taxa, with a variety of ecologies that do not resemble any of the five living species. They ranged from delicate long-legged dog-sized forms, to huge hippo-like forms that apparently lived in rivers and lakes. This book includes a systematic review of the entire North American Rhinocerotidae, with complete descriptions, measurements, and figures of every bone in every species - the first such review in over a century. More importantly, it discusses the biogeographic patterns of rhinos, their evolutionary patterns and paleoecology, and what rhinos tell us about the evolution of North American landscapes and faunas over 35 million years. It is a complete and authoritative volume that will be a reference of interest to a variety of scientists for years to come.

1. Introduction; 2. Methods; 3. Systematics; 4. Postcranial osteology; 5. Biogeography; 6. Paleoecology and evolutionary patterns; 7. Conclusions; Bibliography.

Donald R. Prothero is Chair and Professor of Geology, Occidental College, Los Angeles and Lecturer in Geobiology, California Institute of Technology.