Russian paleontologists have uncovered predators that hunted giant rhinoceroses of the genus Elasmotherium, dragging the bones of their prey into their underground burrows about 2.6 million years ago.
Paleontologists have confirmed the presence of Elasmotherium chaprovicum, a species of giant rhinoceros that lived in the early Pleistocene epoch, among discoveries in Tavrida Cave. This species was previously known from sites in southeastern Europe dating back 2.6 to 2.1 million years.
The Institute of Paleontology of the Russian Academy of Sciences explained that the new discoveries have broadened our understanding of the species' distribution, showing that it lived in Crimea, the northern Black Sea region, and the North Caucasus between 2.6 and 1.6 million years ago. The study's findings were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Researchers believe that the genus Elasmotherium appeared in the late Pliocene epoch, about 2.6 million years ago, and persisted until the late Pleistocene epoch, about 11,700 to 10,000 years ago. Its distribution extended from Central Europe and the northwestern Black Sea region to East Asia, and it was characterized by teeth with folded enamel and a high, vaulted forehead.
Researchers found about 170 samples of elasmotherium remains inside Tafrida Cave, including individual teeth, jaw fragments, and limb bones.
The study showed that the ages of the discovered animals ranged from newborns to individuals over 30 years old, with the teeth of young animals constituting the largest proportion of the discoveries.
Scientists believe that young Elaesmotherium were common prey for larger predatory mammals, such as saber-toothed cats of the genus Homotherium and giant hyenas of the genus Pachycrocota . The remains of adults, particularly limb bones, are thought to be from animals that died of natural causes and were then brought to the cave by giant hyenas as scavengers.
Researchers indicate that the largest Elasmotherium specimens reached lengths of approximately five meters and weighed between four and five tons. The structure of their teeth and skeleton suggests they inhabited open environments, feeding on grasses and underground plant parts. The study also revealed that their anatomical characteristics closely resemble those of Elasmotherium caucasus , which was larger and more robust than Elasmotherium chabrovi .
