Rhinocerotidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the latest Turolian localities (MN 13; Late Miocene) of central and northern Italy

Latest Miocene (MN 13) rhinoceroses from central and northern Italian localities are here described and compared in detail. Rhinoceros specimens have been collected from four localities (Moncucco Torinese, Verduno, Baccinello V3 and Monticino Quarry) and consist 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 Moncucco Torinese and a fragmentary tibia from Baccinello V3) have been generally referred to 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) mammal assemblages of the Pannonian Basin. The occurrence of “D.” megarhinus in the latest Turolian of Italy confirms the presence of this species during the Late Miocene in Europe and suggests a dispersal of eastern European taxa in western Europe and Italy during the MN 13 as also testified by other taxa such as Hippotherium, Prolagus sorbinii and Hansdebruijnia sp