Paraceratherium fossil map
Where fossils of Paraceratherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 37.71–15.98 million years ago (Priabonian to Burdigalian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Paraceratheriidae |
| Named by | Forster Cooper 1911 |
| Fossil records | 38 occurrences at 28 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Türkiye, Spain, Bulgaria |
| Rock formations | txn:348085, Chitarwata, Taoshuyuanzi, Aral, Wulanbulage, Naogangdai |
About Paraceratherium
Paraceratherium is an extinct genus of hornless rhinocerotoids belonging to the family Paraceratheriidae. It is one of the largest terrestrial mammals that has ever existed and lived from the Early to Late Oligocene epoch (34–23 million years ago). The first fossils were discovered in what is now Pakistan, and remains have been found across Eurasia between China and the Balkans. Paraceratherium means "near the hornless beast", in reference to Aceratherium, the genus in which the type species P. bugtiense was originally placed.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Paraceratherium (revision 1380422879), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q311212.
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