Scientists found a rhino in the Arctic and it changes everything
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Scientists found a rhino in the Arctic and it changes everything
Date:
March 24, 2026
Source:
Canadian Museum of Nature
Summary:
Scientists have uncovered a new species of rhinoceros in the Canadian High Arctic, revealing that rhinos once lived far farther north than expected. The fossil, dating back 23 million years, is unusually complete and has helped reshape ideas about how these animals migrated between continents. Evidence suggests rhinos crossed from Europe to North America more recently than scientists once thought.
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Artist's recreation of Epiatheracerium itjilik in its forested lake habitat, Devon Island, Early Miocene, 23 million years ago. The plants and animals shown, including a rodent, rabbit and the transitional seal Puijila darwini, are all based on fossilized remains found at the site. Credit: Julius Csotonyi
Researchers from the Canadian Museum of Nature have identified a previously unknown species of extinct rhinoceros from the High Arctic. The remarkably well-preserved fossil skeleton was uncovered in ancient lakebed sediments at Haughton Crater on Devon Island in Nunavut. This find represents the northernmost rhino species ever documented.
Rhinoceroses have a long evolutionary history spanning more than 40 million years, once inhabiting nearly every continent except South America and Antarctica. This newly identified "Arctic rhino" lived roughly 23 million years ago during the Early Miocene. It is most closely related to species that lived in Europe millions of years earlier.
The species, named Epiatheracerium itjilik [eet-jee-look], is described in a new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
"Today there are only five species of rhinos in Africa and Asia, but in the past they were found in Europe and North America, with more than 50 species known from the fossil record," says the study's lead author Dr. Danielle Fraser, head of palaeobiology at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). "The addition of this Arctic species to the rhino family tree now offers new insights to our understanding of their evolutionary history."
The research also introduces a revised rhinoceros family tree and suggests that this Arctic species reached North America via a land bridge. This route may have remained active for land mammals much later than previously believed.
A Smaller, Hornless Arctic Rhino
Rhinocerotids varied widely in form, ranging from large, bulky animals to smaller, hornless types. Epiatheracerium itjilik was relatively small and lightly built, comparable in size to a modern Indian rhinoceros but without a horn. Based on moderate wear on its cheek teeth, the individual likely died in early to middle adulthood.
The name "itjilik," which means "frosty" or "frost" in Inuktitut, reflects the species' Arctic origins. To choose the name, the researchers worked with Jarloo Kiguktak, an Inuit Elder and former mayor of Grise Fiord, the northernmost Inuit community in Canada. He has visited the fossil site and participated in several Arctic paleontology expeditions.
Most of the fossil material was originally collected in 1986 by Dr. Mary Dawson, Curator Emeritus at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a pioneer in Arctic paleontology. She recovered key anatomical features including teeth, jawbones, and parts of the skull, which later allowed scientists to identify the specimen as a new species.
"What's remarkable about the Arctic rhino is that the fossil bones are in excellent condition. They are three dimensionally preserved and have only been partially replaced by minerals. About 75% of the skeleton was discovered, which is incredibly complete for a fossil," says paleobiologist Marisa Gilbert, study co-author and Senior Research Assistant with the CMN.
Gilbert later joined expeditions to Haughton Crater in the late 2000s led by Dr. Natalia Rybcynski, a CMN Research Associate and co-author. These field studies also led to the discovery of another species, the transitional seal ancestor Puijila darwini.
Additional remains of E. itjilik were uncovered during follow-up expeditions involving Dawson, Rybczynski, and Gilbert. Dawson passed away in 2020 at age 89 and is recognized as a co-author on the study.
Arctic Fossil Reveals Rhino Migration Routes
The discovery prompted researchers to take a deeper look at the evolutionary history and geographic spread of rhinos. Biogeography examines how species evolve and move across different regions over time.
To place this species within the rhino family tree, Fraser and her team analyzed 57 other rhinocerotid species, most of which are extinct. Their work combined museum collections, published studies, and large datasets.
Each species was also mapped to one of five continental regions. Using mathematical models, the team estimated how often rhinos moved between continents within the Rhinocerotid