A rhinoceros skull at least eight million years old has been found near Sitia in eastern Crete, Greece’s state news agency ANA reported on Tuesday.
The fossil belongs to Dihoplus pikermiensis, a massive two-horned rhino that lived in the Late Miocene. The species is a hallmark of the so-called Pikermian fauna, animals that once ranged across western Eurasia.
Scientists found the skull during palaeontological work last March in the Magantze and Trapeza areas of the Sitia Geopark. Among the best-preserved parts are three intact molars from the upper left jaw, which should help researchers judge the animal’s diet and age.
The Sitia Geopark is part of UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network and covers a geological record stretching back nearly 300 million years.
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