What is Elasmotherium?
{{italictitle}} {{Taxobox | name = Elasmotherium | image = Elasmotherium sibiricum skull.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = ''Elasmotherium'' skull | fossil_range = late [[Pliocene]] to late [[Pleistocene]], 2.6 mya {{ndash}} ~50 kya | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | ordo = [[Perissodactyla]] | familia = [[Rhinocerotidae]] | genus = '''''Elasmotherium''''' | genus_authority = [[Johann Fischer von Waldheim|J. Fischer]], 1808}} [[File:Elasm062.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Artist's impression]] '''''Elasmotherium''''' is an [[extinct]] giant [[rhinoceros]]. It lived from 2.6 million years ago (mya) to about 50,000 years ago. Fossils have been found in [[Europe]] and [[Asia]].<ref>{{Cite book | editor-first=V.V. | editor-last=Titov | editor2-first=A.S. | editor2-last=Tesakov | title=Quaternary stratigraphy and paleontology of the Southern Russia: connections between Europe, Africa and Asia: Abstracts of the International INQUA-SEQS Conference (Rostov-on-Don, June 21–26, 2010) | year=2010 | location=Rostov-on-Don | publisher=Russian Academy of Science | first1=Piruza | last1=Tleuberdina | first2=Gulzhan | last2=Nazymbetova | contribution=Distribution of Elasmotherium in Kazakhstan | pages=171–173 | url=http://seqs2010-rostov.narod.ru/absractsrostov.pdf | access-date=2013-06-08 | archive-date=2010-09-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928234643/http://seqs2010-rostov.narod.ru/absractsrostov.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> This giant lived and grazed on the [[Eurasian]] [[steppe]]s ([[grassland]]s). == Description == ''Elasmotherium'' was a heavily-built [[quadruped]] that walked on four [[hoof]]ed legs. Its legs were longer than those of other rhinos and were adapted for [[gallop]]ing, giving it a horse-like gait. It probably had a large horn on its forehead, but fossils of the horn have not been found. The teeth were tall-crowned and were covered with cement and wrinkled enamel. Its mouth at the front was a [[beak]]; there are no teeth in front of the [[molar]]s. ===Morphology=