Iranotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Iranotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63–5.333 million years ago (Tortonian to Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Rhinocerotidae |
| Named by | Ringström 1924 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Mongolia, China |
| Rock formations | Loh, txn:43187 |
About Iranotherium
Iranotherium ("Beast of Iran") is an extinct genus of large elasmotheriine rhinocerotids, comparable in size to a modern white rhino. It is known from the Late Miocene (Tortonian) of Maragha, Iran and the middle part of the Liushu formation of northwestern China. It was a precursor to the related Sinotherium and may have been ultimately outcompeted by its descendant. This species is most well known for showing unique sexual dimorphism among rhinos.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Iranotherium (revision 1350945363), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q145266.
