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:
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|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Perissodactyla |
| Family: | Rhinocerotidae |
| Subfamily: | †Aceratheriinae |
| Genus: | †Floridaceras Wood, 1964 |
| Species: | †F. whitei
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| Binomial name | |
| †Floridaceras whitei Wood, 1964
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Taxonomy
editFloridaceras 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
editThe only site known is the Thomas Farm Site in Gilchrist County, Florida, ~20.6—16.3 Ma.[2]
Description
editFloridaceras 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]
Sources
edit- ^ D. R. Prothero. 1998. Rhinocerotidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary mammals of North America 595-605
- ^ T. E. White. 1942. The Lower Miocene mammal fauna of Florida. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 92(1):1-49
- ^ Pony Express Florida: Fossil Horse Newsletter · Volumes 1-10. Florida Museum of Natural History. 1992.
- ^ Prothero, Donald R. (2005). The Evolution of North American Rhinoceroses. Cambridge University Press. pp. 67–68. ISBN 9780521832403.
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