ELASMOTHERIUM: THE STEPPE RHINOCEROS

Elasmotherium was a prehistoric cousin of the rhinoceros. These animal lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene. They have a wonderfully impressive large horn that makes them easy to identify.

Elasmotherium means, "Thin Plate Beast." They are sometimes called the Steppe Rhinoceros. 

By any name they are an extinct genus of giant rhinoceros endemic to Eurasia during the Late Pliocene through the Pleistocene, documented from 2.6 million years ago, to as late as 50,000 years ago, possibly later, in the Late Pleistocene, an approximate span of slightly less than 2.6 million years. 

Three species are recognized. The best known, E. sibiricum was about the size of a mammoth and is thought to have borne a large, thick horn on its forehead which was used for defense, attracting mates, driving away competitors, sweeping snow from the grass in winter and digging for water and plant roots. 

Like all rhinoceroses, elasmotheres were herbivorous. Unlike any others, its high-crowned molars were ever-growing. Its legs were longer than those of other rhinos and were designed for galloping, giving it a horse-like gait. The Russian paleontologists of the 19th century who discovered and named the initial fossils were influenced by ancient legends of a huge unicorn roaming the steppes of Siberia. To date no evidence either contradicts or confirms the possibility that Elasmotherium survived into legendary times.