Paleontologists have identified a new early Miocene species of rhinoceros from the genus Epiaceratherium, based on fossilized remains uncovered in the Canadian Highlands Arctic.
Epiaceratherium ijirik in a riparian habitat on Devon Island. The depicted flora and fauna are based on local fossils, including the transitional seal species Puigila dalwini. Image credit: Julius Csotony.” width=”580″ height=”290″ srcset=”https://cdn.sci.news/images/2025/11/image_14328-Epiaceratherium-itjilik.jpg 580w, https://cdn.sci.news/images/2025/11/image_14328-Epiaceratherium-itjilik-300×150.jpg 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px”/>
Reconstruction of Epiaceratherium ijirik in a forested lake habitat on Devon Island. The flora and fauna depicted are based on fossils found locally, including the transitional seal species Puigila dalwini. Image credit: Julius Csotony.
This new rhinoceros existed in present-day Canada around 23 million years ago during the early Miocene epoch.
Named Epiaceratherium ijirik, it is most closely related to other rhinoceros species that thrived in Europe millions of years ago.
“Currently, there are only five species of rhinos found in Africa and Asia, but they were once widespread in Europe and North America, with over 50 species documented in the fossil record,” stated Dr. Daniel Fraser, a researcher from the Canadian Museum of Nature, Carleton University, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
“The inclusion of this Arctic species enriches our understanding of the evolutionary history of rhinoceroses.”
Epiaceratherium ijirik was relatively small and slender, comparable in size to a modern Indian rhinoceros, but notably lacked a horn.
The fossilized remains were excavated from the sediments of a fossil-abundant lake in Horton Crater on Devon Island, Nunavut.
“What’s impressive about this Arctic rhinoceros is the excellent condition of the fossilized bones,” remarked Dr. Marisa Gilbert, also from the Canadian Museum of Nature.
“They are three-dimensionally preserved and only partially mineralized.”
“Approximately 75 percent of the skeleton has been recovered, which is remarkably complete for a fossil.”
By analyzing the occurrences of 57 other now-extinct rhino species, researchers traced the family tree of Epiaceratherium ijirik.
The findings were derived from visits to museum collections, reviews of scientific literature, and database analyses.
The researchers were also able to geographically categorize each rhino species across five continental regions.
This exhaustive process employed mathematical modeling techniques to gauge dispersal rates among different continents within the Rhinocerotidae family, with scoring based on their locations.
The analysis sheds light on how rhinoceroses utilized the North Atlantic land bridge for migration between North America and Europe (via Greenland) over millions of years.
Previous studies indicated that the land bridge may have served solely as a migration route until about 56 million years ago.
However, the new analysis implies that Epiaceratherium ijirik and its relatives suggest that these migrations from Europe to North America could have occurred much more recently, potentially as late as the Miocene.
“Discovering and describing new species is always thrilling and enlightening,” noted Dr. Fraser.
“But there is more to be gleaned from this identification: Epiaceratherium ijirik reveals that the North Atlantic played a more significant role in rhinoceros evolution than previously acknowledged.”
“Overall, this study reaffirms that the Arctic continues to unveil new insights and discoveries, enhancing our understanding of mammalian diversification across epochs.”
Results of this research are published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
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D. Fraser et al. Dispersal of rhinos through the North Atlantic during the mid-Cenozoic Era. Nat Ecol Evol published online October 28, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41559-025-02872-8
Source: www.sci.news
