Reassessment of ‘Chilotherium wegneri’ (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) from the late Miocene of Samos (Greece) and the European record of Chilotherium

Abstract

ABSTRACT Chilotherium represents one of the most characteristic rhinocerotid genera during the late Miocene of Eurasia. In Europe, it is restricted to the eastern parts of the continent (Balkan Peninsula and Peri-Pontic region). In total, eight Chilotherium species have been described from European material, with Samos (Greece) representing the type locality of four of them. Herein, the type material of ‘Chilotherium wegneri’ is revisited. The type cranium is considered lost for the past half-century, but the associated mandible is still housed in the collections of the Geomuseum Münster (Germany). The ‘C. wegneri’ type mandible is redescribed and, taking into account the original illustration of the type cranium, compared to other chilotheres from Europe and Asia. Accordingly, the previously proposed synonymy of ‘C. wegneri’ and Chilotherium schlosseri, which was also initially described from the late Miocene of Samos, is further supported. Lastly, an overview of the late Miocene record of Chilotherium in Europe is provided.