Arsinoitheriidae

Taxobox
name = Arsinoitheriids
fossil_range=Late Eocene - Early Oligocene

---

image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Arsinoitherium zitteli"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = †Embrithopoda
familia = †Arsinoitheriidae
familia_authority = Andrews, 1904
subdivision_ranks = Genus
subdivision =
* "†Arsinoitherium"
* "†Crivadiatherium"
* "†Palaeoamasia"

Arsinoitheriidae was a family of mammals belonging to the extinct order Embrithopoda. Remains have been found in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Romania. When alive, they would have had a great, albeit very superficial resemblance to the modern rhinoceros. Despite this, they were not closely related to rhinoceri (or any other perissodactyl, for that matter), instead being more related to hyraxes, elephants, and desmostylians.

Fossil Record

Arsinoitheres first appear in the fossil record during the Middle Eocene, with the teeth of the primitive "Palaeomasia" found in Turkey [Rose, Kenneth D. & Archibald, J. D.: "The Rise of Placental Mammals" (p. 266). JHU Press, 2005 ISBN 0801884721] . The last genus is "Arsinoitherium", itself, being first found in the Latest Eocene of the Fayum, then disappearing from the fossil record altogether before the end of the Early Oligocene. "Crivadiatherium" is known from some teeth found in the Romanian province of Transylvania in the same Late Eocene deposits where the western-most brontothere, "Brachydiastematherium" was found.

Etymology

The name honors the wife of Ptolemy II, Queen Arsinoe II of Egypt, where the first fossils of "Arsinoitherium" were found near the ruins of her palace.

References

External links

* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=43310 The Paleobiology Database]
* [http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/haaramo/Metazoa/Deuterostoma/Chordata/Synapsida/Eutheria/Basal_Ungulata/Embrithopoda.htm Mikko's Phylogeny Archive]