Earliest occurrence of Dihoplus megarhinus (Mammalia, Rhinocerotidae) in Europe (Late Miocene, Pannonian Basin, Hungary): Palaeobiogeographical and biochronological implications

In 1979, several specimens of Rhinocerotidae were collected from the Late Miocene deposits of the Zala Subbasin, Pannonian Basin, Western Hungary and were inventoried as Rhinoceros sp. Based on morphological and metric grounds, this material is here referred to Dihoplus megarhinus (de Christol), a species previously known only from Pliocene localities. This is the earliest record of the species in Europe. Our results support the hypothesis that the origin of D. megarhinus took place in Asia and that this species successively dispersed towards Western Europe during the end of the Miocene. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.