Prosantorhinus, Heissig, 2017

Heissig, Kurt, 2017, Revision Of The European Species Of Prosantorhinus Heissig, 1974 (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae), Fossil Imprint 73 (3 - 4), pp. 236-274 : 241-242

Prosantorhinus aurelianensis ( NOUEL, 1866)

N o t e. The vast number of specimens and localities of this species makes it necessary to treat the synonymy in a selective way.

1866 v Rhinoceros aurelianensis – Nouel, p. 10, pl. 1–5.

1900 Teleoceras ( R.) aurelianensis Nouel – Osborn, p. 250 f., text-figs 11, 12D .

1907 Rhinoceros (Teleoceras) sp. – Roman, p. 44, pl. 3, figs 2, 3.

1907 Rhinoceros (Teleoceras) aurelianensis Nouel – Stehlin, pp. 526 f., 530 f.

1908 Teleoceras aurelianense sp. Nouel – Mayet, p. 98 ff., text-fig. 29.

1949 Brachypotherium (Teleoceras) aurelianense Nouel – Zbyszewski, pp. 14–23.

1960 Brachypotherium aurelianense Nouel – Antunes, p. 258.

1979 Brachydiceratherium aurelianensis (Nouel) – Ginsburg and Antunes, p. 493.

1981 Brachypotherium (Diaceratherium) aurelianensis ( Nouel, 1866) – Ginsburg et al., p. 355.

1983 Diaceratherium aurelianensis ( Nouel 1866) – Antunes and Ginsburg, pp. 24 f., 90 f., text-figs 1–6, pl. 2, figs 4–8, pl. 3, figs 1–10.

1983 Diaceratherium cf. aurelianensis ( Nouel 1866) – Antunes and Ginsburg, pp. 23, 90, pl. 1, figs 2–4.

1987 non Brachypotherium aurelianense – Belinchón, p. 267, pl. 14, figs 1–3.

1989 Diaceratherium aurelianense ( Nouel, 1866) – Ginsburg, p. 162.

1993 Diaceratherium aurelianense ( Nouel, 1866) – Cerdeño, p. 29 ff.

1999 Diaceratherium aurelianense ( Nouel, 1866) – Heissig, p. 182.

2007 Diaceratherium aurelianense – Heissig and Fejfar, p. 38.

H o l o t y p e. Skull with mandible and almost complete right side limbs MNHN.

T y p e l o c a l i t y. Neuville-aux-Bois.

S t r a t u m t y p i c u m. Early Miocene (MN 3b).

O t h e r o c c u r r e n c e s. Early Miocene (MN 3a –

MN 4a), France, Spain, Portugal, Germany.

R e m a r k s. Regardless of size, the combination of some crucial characters corresponds much more to Prosantorhinus than to Diaceratherium where the species aurelianensis was classified because of its size. These characters are: the deeply concave skull profile with upslanting nasals ( Text-fig. 1b ) a wide nasal incision of medium depth, and the triangular last upper molar. The characters are in contrast to all Diaceratherium species, in particular to D. aginense and D. lemanense, the latest representatives of this genus. The size difference between the somewhat smaller Prosantorhinus aurelianensis and these largest species of Diaceratherium makes direct ancestry very improbable.

The shortening of the proximal articular facet of MT II is a character of this species but does not occur in Diaceratherium .

D i a g n o s i s. The largest, moderately brachycephalic species of the genus Prosantorhinus with somewhat narrower occipital crest but not fully united temporal lines. Skull profile deeply concave with ascending nasals. Horn base moderately swollen with a rough, finger like prolongation in front. Lower incisors without torsion. Cheek teeth with relatively simple morphology, uppers with shortened premolars compared to the molars. The cross lophs of the premolars are less oblique than in other species. The crochet in the premolars is multiple or branching, less prominent than in other species of Prosantorhinus . Premolars and molars with faint to absent metacone ribs. The last upper molar has a triangular outline, but its rather short distal cingulum is somewhat variable in length and thickness. The mandible and the lower cheek teeth show the general characters of the genus. The large incisors show no torsion.

A more specific description and the bone measurements are given in Cerdeño (1993: 29 ff.).

Figures

Text-fig.1.SkullshapeinDiaceratherium(a)andProsantorhinus (b). a. Diaceratherium aginense (REPELIN, 1917), Laugnac (MN 2), Skull B; b. Prosantorhinus aurelianensis (NOUEL, 1866), Neuville (MN 3b), holotype.