The skull of Stephanorhinus hemitoechus (FALCONER, 1859) from Fosso Malafede (Vitinia, Rome) with notes on the first occurrence of the species in Italy

In this work a well-preserved skull of rhinoceros is described. It has been discovered in the upper Middle Pleistocene fluvial deposits outcropping at Fosso Malafede (Vitinia, Rome, Central Italy) and it is preserved in the Museum of Paleontology in Sapienza, University of Rome. Comparative analysis of the morphological characters allow to ascribed the skull to Stephanorhinus hemitoechus. The specimen shows a well-developed occipital crest, toothrows shifted forward and an extended nasal groove. The degree of wear of the second and third upper molars suggests an about 30-36 year-old individual. S. hemitoechus has been named for the first time by Falconer in 1859 from several remains discovered in Great Britain. This species is present at about 0.500-0.450 million years in Continental Europe and it is one of the components of the Italian late Middle and Late Pleistocene assemblages (Aurelian Mammal Age). The early Middle Pleistocene remains from Slivia, Torrente Stirone and Ponte Galeria which are ascribed here to S. hundsheimensis, had been previously assigned to S. hemitoechus. To the latter can be ascribed a mandible discovered in the Tiber River terraces at Monte Verde, referred to the Fontana Ranuccio Faunal Unit. However, the chronological correlation of the site is very doubtful