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Scientists discover a new species of rhinoceros that lived 26.5 million years ago and weighed 21 tons

Maria Tsikhotska

Scientists discover a new species of rhinoceros that lived 26.5 million years ago and weighed 21 tons
Prehistoric rhinoceros. Source: ВВС

Scientists have discovered the remains of a huge rhinoceros that lived about 26.5 million years ago in areas that include modern-day Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and Pakistan.

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This rhino species is considered the largest mammal that has ever inhabited our planet known to mankind.

This is reported by the BBC.

The study of the new species began after the discovery of an almost completely preserved skull in Gansu Province in China in 2015. When scientists compared the bones with the rest of the known rhino species, they found no similarities.

This new species was named Paraceratherium linxiaense. It turned out that this prehistoric animal weighed about 21 tons, the equivalent of four elephants, and reached a height of about 7 meters, which is more than modern giraffes. It also had a long, flexible neck and no horn on its nose.

As a reminder, a 30,000-year-old mummy of an unknown animal was found in Canada.

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