Scientists found a rhino in the Arctic and it changes everything

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 Rhinocerotidae family.

Their findings suggest that rhinos migrated between North America and Europe through Greenland using the North Atlantic Land Bridge.

Earlier research proposed that this land bridge stopped functioning as a migration route around 56 million years ago. However, the new analysis indicates that these movements may have continued much later, possibly into the Miocene.

Ancient Proteins and New Evolutionary Insights

The importance of Epiatheracerium itjilik was further highlighted in July 2025, when a separate study published in Nature reported the recovery of partial proteins from the animal's tooth enamel. Led by post-doctoral fellow Ryan Sinclair Paterson at the University of Copenhagen, the research extends the time range for obtaining meaningful protein sequences by millions of years. This opens new opportunities for studying ancient biomolecules and tracing mammalian evolution.

"It's always exciting and informative to describe a new species. But there is more that comes from the identification of Epiaceratherium itjilik, as our reconstructions of rhino evolution show that the North Atlantic played a much more important role in their evolution than previously thought," says Fraser. "More broadly, this study reinforces that the Arctic continues to offer up new knowledge and discoveries that expand on our understanding of mammal diversification over time."

The fossil is now housed in the Canadian Museum of Nature's collection, while preparation work was carried out at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Funding for the research came from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Fieldwork and logistics were supported by multiple organizations in Nunavut, with permits granted by territorial authorities and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

Haughton Crater Fossil Site in the High Arctic

At 23 km across, Haughton Crater is the northernmost known fossil site from the Miocene (about 23 to 5.6 million years ago), a time when many modern mammal groups were diversifying and spreading between continents.

The crater later filled with water, forming a lake that preserved plants and animals living in the region. Geological and fossil evidence shows that the area was once covered in temperate forest, very different from today's cold, dry permafrost landscape.

Seasonal freezing and thawing of the ground caused fossils to break apart and shift toward the surface through a process known as cryoturbation. The bones of E. itjilik were recovered from a relatively small area of about 5 to 7 sq. meters.