Rhinocerotidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) dalle località del Turoliano terminale (MN 13; Miocene Superiore) dell’Italia centrale e settentrionale: Implicazioni biocronologiche e paleobiogeografiche

Latest Miocene (MN 13) rhinoceroses from central and northern Italian localities are here described and compared in details. Rhinoceros specimens have been collected from four localities (Moncucco Torinese, Verduno, Baccinello V3 and Monticino Quarry) and consists of isolated teeth (upper and lower premolars and molars), an almost complete maxilla with I1 and P2-M3, a fragmentary mandible, a p2-p4, a scaphoid and a damaged tibia. A few specimens (isolated teeth from Verduno and a fragmentary tibia from Baccinello V3) have been generally referred as Rhinocerotini indet. whilst other remains have been assigned to the species "Dihoplus" megarhinus based on several morphological characters. "D." megarhinus has been considered a typical Pliocene species, nevertheless it has been recently recorded in several Late Miocene (MN 12 and MN 13) localities of the Pannonian Basin. The occurrence of "D." megarhinus in the latest Miocene of Italy confirms the presence of this species during the Late Miocene in Europe and suggests a spread of Eastern European taxa in Western Europe and Italy during the Messinian as also testify by other taxa such as Hippotherium, Prolagus sorbinii and Hansdebruijnia sp.