A new discovery in the permafrost of Yakutia sheds light on the nasal horn morphology of the woolly rhinoceros

• Published in: Journal of morphology (1931) 2023-09, Vol.284 (9), p.e21626-n/a
• Main Authors: Belyaev, Ruslan I., Boeskorov, Gennady G., Cheprasov, Maksim Yu, Prilepskaya, Natalya E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coelodonta antiquitatis; horns; Late Pleistocene; permafrost; Rhinocerotidae; Yakutia
• ISSN: 0362-2525; 1097-4687
• DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21626

Extinct woolly rhinoceroses were iconic representatives of the Late Pleistocene mammoth fauna of Eurasia. These animals were characterized by two huge keratinous horns. In adults, the length of the nasal horn often exceeded one meter. The nasal horn of Coelodonta was characterized by an unusual feature for rhinoceroses—the width of its base was considerably narrower than the width of the rugosity area on the nasal bones of the skull. In this study, a new discovery of woolly rhinoceros' nasal horn in the permafrost of Yakutia is described. This specimen shows that the shape of the base of the woolly rhino's nasal horn corresponds well to the shape (length and width) of the nasal rugosity area. The base of the nasal horn of Coelodonta was markedly elongated anteroposteriorly compared to extant rhinoceroses. Its length was about 150% of the width. We therefore suggest that the narrower shape of the nasal horn base in the majority of previously found specimens was associated with secondary damage after burial caused by maceration. In this study, we address an old question of woolly rhinoceros' morphology—why the nasal horn width of the Coelodonta antiquitatis is significantly inferior to the width of the rugosity area on the nasal bones? We describe a new discovery of nasal horn in the permafrost of Yakutia. It is observed on the specimen that the shape of the base of the wooly rhino's nasal horn corresponds very well to the shape of the nasal rugosity area.