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New post-cranial remains from the early Late Miocene have been discovered in the lowermost part of the Irrawaddy Formation, Tebingan area, central Myanmar. Three genera and one indeterminate taxon were identified: Rhinoceros sp. Rhinoceros cf. R. sondaicus, Dicerorhinus sp., Brachypotherium perimense, and Rhinocerotidae indet. The evolutionary history of the Rhinocerotidae is still poorly known in Southeast Asia. Few Rhinoceros species, Rhinoceros sp. ‘B’. fatehjangense, and B. perimense, has already been identified in the Tebingan area by dental remains. The present discovery of the post-cranial remains of Rhinoceros cf. R. sondaicus and Dicerorhinus sp. that complements previous studies based on dental remains. The early Late Miocene Tebingan record is the oldest fossil record of Dicerorhinus in Southeast Asia, indicating a continental origin of the genus. Furthermore, the possible presence of R. sondaicus in the Tebingan area suggests that it may have appeared in Southeast Asia as early as the early Late Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rhinocerotid mandibular remain from the Upper Pliocene Tsubusagawa Formation (around 3.5 Ma) was described and discussed its taxonomic status and paleobiogeographical implication. Compared with Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene and living rhinocerotid species, the studied specimen resembles the mandible of the Pliocene Eurasian taxa of the subtribe Rhinocerotina, Dihoplus and Pliorhinus in having a straight ventral margin, constant mandibular height and probably reduced lower second incisor. This specimen, however, lacks detailed diagnostic characters of these genus. In addition, the taxonomic validity of these taxa has been argued so far. Therefore, this specimen was identified as Rhinocerotina gen. et sp. indet. Japanese Pliocene rhinocerotid records and the present study suggest that the Rhinocerotina was distributed in the central to southwestern part of proto-Japan during the mid-Pliocene. If the studied specimen is truly a species of Dihoplus or Pliorhinus, its close relative might have migrated from northern China as in the case of the ancestor of Japanese Pliocene proboscidean, Stegodon miensis. Further discovery of Japanese Pliocene rhinocerotid specimens could resolve this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cranio-dental and postcranial remains of the Rhinocerotidae collected from the sand pit no. 8 at Nakhon Ratchasima in northeastern Thailand, are described in this study. The remains show cheek teeth that tend to have flattened buccal walls, bucco-lingually broad molariform premolars with short crochet, and brachypodal limb bones, suggesting that these remains belong to genus Brachypotherium. Compared with Afro-Eurasian Brachypotherium, the remains are identified as a South Asian species, Brachypotherium perimense. The result reveals that B. perimense was distributed in Southeast Asia during the Late Miocene. The fossil records of Brachypotherium in Afro-Eurasia show that the genus Brachypotherium was already present in the Indian Subcontinent by the earliest Miocene. This genus then became widely distributed and diversified in Afro-Eurasia during the late Early Miocene and Middle Miocene. Its diversity seems to have decreased before it became extinct by the end of the Miocene, with only the African species, B. lewisi, surviving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we describe a few cheek teeth and mandibular remains of a Pleistocene rhinocerotid from the Matsugae Cave in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, western Japan. Previously, these remains had been identified as Dicerorhinus cf. nipponicus or Dicerorhinus sp. The present study redescribes and identifies them as belonging to Stephanorhinus sp. indet., like several other Japanese middle Pleistocene rhinocerotid remains. The present and other studies suggest that this genus reached Far East Asia during the middle Pleistocene. Stephanorhinus sp. from the Matsugae Cave would have migrated from northern China in 0.43 Ma as a member of the group of terrestrial mammals found in the cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An upper incisor and upper and lower cheek teeth of Rhinocerotidae from the Upper Miocene of Nakali in central Kenya are described. Those specimens are identified as Diceros sp. The present study confirms the presence of Diceros in sub-Saharan East Africa during Vallesian as noted by several studies. The present result and the fossil records of Diceros in Africa and Eurasia suggest that Diceros might have migrated to Eurasia from Africa by Vallesian, although more fossil records and detailed phylogenetic analysis of Diceros are needed to discuss this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]