Researchers announced the discovery of fossilized remains of a colossal rhinoceros in Anatolia, located in the Black Sea region of Türkiye as remarkable findings are estimated to be approximately 28 million years old.
"The discovery in Anatolia of fossils of a giant rhinoceros, known as the largest land mammal ever, carry great importance for determining their migration routes and distribution areas," said Neşe Oyal, chief geological engineer at the Şehit Cuma Dağ Natural History Museum of the Turkish Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate.
The fossils were found during this year's excavations in the northern province of Çorum, she told Anadolu Agency (AA).
According to the directorate, the first fossil finds were in 2015, including bones of the rhino’s biceps, forearm, tibia, fingers, wrist and foot.
She said previous giant rhino specimens were mainly unearthed in Mongolia, China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Central Asia, but now the bulk seems to be found in Türkiye.
New specimens of giant rhinos have been moved to the directorate museum in the capital Ankara, where they will be restored in paleontology labs and archived, according to Oyal.
"Suitable examples and remarkable ones will be exhibited and presented for the public interest,” she added.
