Abstract
A newly discovered, well-preserved skull and associated fragment of a juvenile mandible from the Early Oligocene locality of Poillat (Canton Jura, NW Switzerland), bearing close affinities with the rhinocerotid Protaceratherium albigense (Roman, 1912), are attributed to a new small-sized representative of early diverging Rhinocerotinae, Molassitherium delemontense gen. et sp. nov. Other specimens from Western Europe, formerly questionably referred to Epiaceratherium Abel, 1910, are assigned to this new genus. Comparison with the previously described Protaceratherium Abel, 1910 (including type material) and a phylogenetic analysis highlight the mismatch of Protaceratherium minutum (Cuvier, 1822) and Protaceratherium albigense (Roman, 1912). Given the topology of the most parsimonious tree, a basal split within Rhinocerotidae coincides with the well-supported divergence of the Elasmotheriinae and Rhinocerotinae clades. Relationships within Rhinocerotinae are [Epiaceratherium bolcense Abel, 1910 [Epiaceratherium magnum Uhlig, 1999 [Molassitherium gen. nov. [Mesaceratherium Heissig, 1969 [Pleuroceros Roger, 1898 [Protaceratherium minutum (Cuvier, 1822) [Plesiaceratherium mirallesi (Crusafont, Villalta and Truyols, 1955) [Aceratheriini, Rhinocerotini]]]]]]]]. The only paraphyletic genus in the analysis is Epiaceratherium, with the earliest Oligocene Epiaceratherium bolcense Abel, 1910 being sister taxon to an [Epiaceratherium magnum Uhlig, 1999, Rhinocerotinae] clade. In the single most parsimonious tree, Molassitherium gen. nov., included withinthe early diverging Rhinocerotinae, forms a clade encompassing Molassitherium delemontense gen. et sp. nov. and the type species Molassitherium albigense comb. nov. The range of Molassitherium delemontense gen. et sp. nov. is so far restricted to the late Early–early Late Oligocene interval in Western Europe (Germany, Switzerland, France; ‘late MP22’–MP25).