Rhinoceros Fossils

Woolly Rhino Fossils for sale

The Rhinoceros (Rhinoceratidae), also known as Rhinos, are a group of critically endangered herbivores with currently five extant species. Rhinos were found in many places of the world, including Europe. Many of these died out towards the end of the Neogene. Most had not developed horns and were powerful, massive and relatively short-legged. In the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras, the woolly rhinoceros lived in Europe and Asia.

On this rhinoceros category page, we offer a selection of rhinoceros fossils. All fossils have the size and weight details in their description as well as information about their origin, i.e. where they were found and approximately how old they are. All of the fossils are also treated with a special conservation method so they will remain in excellent condition. The fossils have not been restored, therefore they remain authentic.

Make sure to also have a look at our newest arrivals, and our premium pristine quality fossils. Also, make sure to check out our FAQ about authenticity (yes they’re all authentic) and more!

All you need to know about Woolly Rhinos

The Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is a large extinct rhinoceros that was covered in thick fur. It lived in Europe and Asia in the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras. The rhino had a big mouth and wide lips. It lacked front teeth in both the upper and lower jaw. It had two horns, a strong, curved horn in the middle of the snout and a narrower one further back. 

The exceptional span of existence

The woolly rhino was part of what is called the Eurasian megafauna from the Pleistocene, as were the woolly mammoth. The oldest known woolly rhinoceros fossil is 3.6 million years old, i.e. the Pliocene epoch, and was from Tibet. The youngest found rhino fossil is about 14,000 years old and was from Siberia.

The woolly rhinoceros overlapped in time with modern man and is depicted in cave paintings, including the Chauvet Cave in France.

The Rhinoceros species to have existed

Rhinoceroses are critically endangered animals and there are five species currently alive. In 2018 the last male northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) died at the age of 45. The two remaining northern white rhinoceroses in the world are both females, meaning the species will go extinct. 

The information about extinct species is based on rhinoceros fossils that have been found by humans. The Rhinoceros have several genera and knowing every single one of them can be a bit of a handful. We have tried to cover the most commonly known species of the rhinoceroses to have existed, including their subspecies. 

List of rhinoceros species that went extinct

Based on found rhinoceros fossils, there are two known species of rhinoceroses to have gone extinct: 

• Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis)
• Merck’s Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis)

List of the five extant rhinoceros species

• Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
  • South-central (Diceros bicornis minor)
  • South-western (Diceros bicornis occidentalis)
  • East African (Diceros bicornis michaeli)
  • West African (Diceros bicornis longipes)
• White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
  • Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
  • Northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni)
    
• Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)
• Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
• Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
  • the Sumatran rhinoceros proper (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis)
  • the Bornean rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni)
  • the possibly extinct Northern Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis)

Why did the Woolly Rhinoceros go extinct? 

Human hunting often gets the blame for a species going extinct, but so does climate change. Around the time that the Woolly Rhinoceros went extinct, humans had already been around their territory for a long time and the number of living rhinos had been steady. Of course, humans playing a role in the woolly rhino extinction can not be ruled out, simply because humans needed resources like food and clothes. Whether or not the rhinos were hunted by humans would be very difficult to prove in the genetic data alone. 

Scientists do believe that the woolly rhinoceros had adapted so much to living in the cold conditions that they were not able to handle the rapid climate change at the end of the last ice age during the Bølling–Allerød warming, roughly 14 000 years ago, which is around the same time as the woolly rhinoceros went extinct. 

How big are these Woolly Rhinoceros Fossils?

You will find the size and weight information for the specific fossil in the description when clicking on one of our products.

Keep an eye on our premium fossils as occasionally a pristine rhinoceros fossil will be listed for sale! 

Frequently asked questions 

Where do they find rhino fossils nowadays? Rhinoceros fossils have been found in many places in the world, including Europe, Russia and North America. A very large rhino fossil has also recently been found in China. 

How big was the Woolly Rhinoceros? The woolly rhinoceros is a large extinct rhinoceros covered in thick fur, which lived in Europe and Asia in the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras. The rhino had a big mouth and wide lips. It lacked front teeth in both the upper and lower jaw, but had two horns; a strong, curved horn in the middle of the snout and a narrower one further back. They were 3 – 4 meters long and they possibly weighed up to 2700 kilograms. 

When was the last Woolly Rhinoceros alive?

The last Woolly Rhinoceros died about 14 000 years ago when the climate changed during the Bølling–Allerød warming, at the end of the last ice age.