Superkingdom Eukaryota
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Verterbrata
Class Mammalia
Subclass Eutheria
Superorder Ungulata
Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
Suborder Ceratomorpha (rhinos and tapirs)
Family Rhinocerotidae
The rhinoceros family, containing five modern species in four genera.
Rhinocerotidae are large and bulky, with short stumpy legs, thick folded skin, and one or two
hardened tufts of hair serving as horns protruding from the snout. Although
rhinoceroses were one of the most successful families of the Cenozoic Era,
all five modern species are endangered, having being hunted nearly to extinction
for their horns.
Subfamily Dicerotinae:
-
Diceros (Pleistocene - Present)
-
D. bicornis (Black Rhinoceros or "Hook-lipped Rhinoceros") (CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED)
-
Dicerorhinus (Oligocene - Present)
-
D. kirchbergensis (Merk's Rhinoceros) (Pleistocene
- Holocene, EXTINCT, hunted out of existence by early man)
-
Ceratotherium (Pleistocene - Present)
-
C. simum (White Rhinoceros or "Square-lipped Rhinoceros") (ENDANGERED)
-
C. simium cottoni (Northern White Rhinoceros) (CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED)
-
C. simium simuim (Southern White Rhinoceros) (ENDANGERED)
Subfamily Rhinocerotinae:
-
Dicerorhinus (Oligocene - Present)
-
Rhinoceros (Pleistocene - Present)
Extinct rhinoceros genera include:
The extinct genera Hyracodon (Eocene - Oligocene).
Indricotherium (Oligocene - Miocene),
and Paraceratherium (Oligocene, aka Baluchitherium)
are sometimes placed in
Rhiniocerotidae but belong in the family
Hyrachyidae instead.
The extinct genera Amynodon (Eocene),
Cadurcotherium (Oligocene), Metamnyodon
(Oligocene) have been moved to Amynodontidae.
Illinois State Academy of Science, Kingdoms project, Rhinocerodiae throughout time
http://www.il-st-acad-sci.org/mammals/mami004w.html
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/chordata/mammalia/perissodactyla/rhinocerotidae.html
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