Bold claim: A High Arctic rhinoceros species, 23 million years old, is rewriting how we understand ancient animal migrations. Researchers at the Canadian Museum of Nature have identified a new rhino named Epiatheracerium itjilik, the northernmost rhino ever discovered, and its existence reshapes ideas about when and how ancient mammals spread across continents.
Unlike modern rhinos, this species lacked a horn, was relatively small, and endured long periods of darkness in a forested Arctic climate that existed at the time. Its remains were first found in 1986 in Nunavut, Canada, and scientists have since recovered about 75% of its skeleton. This remarkable preservation is credited to the permafrost, which helped shield the fossils from decay.
To place E. itjilik on the rhino family tree, researchers compared its anatomy with other specimens. They found that its closest relatives lived in Europe and Western Asia, suggesting that its ancestors crossed a land bridge connecting Europe and North America—the North Atlantic Land Bridge. This route, though less famous than the Bering Land Bridge, played a significant and previously underappreciated role in ancient animal migration.
Conventional thinking held that the North Atlantic Land Bridge connected Europe and North America until about 50 million years ago before being submerged. The CMN team’s analysis indicates rhinos moved back and forth across this corridor for at least 20 million more years than previously believed. Danielle Fraser, CMN’s Paleobiology head and lead author, describes this as exciting evidence that the Land Bridge influenced mammal evolution more extensively and for longer than once thought.
The Arctic’s role in evolution has often been overlooked in favor of tropical environments. Fraser hopes this study helps people appreciate how the Arctic contributed to mammalian evolution, both in the deep past and in present-day biodiversity. Marisa Gilbert, CMN senior research assistant and co-author, agrees, noting that climate change today makes these insights particularly relevant: understanding how past species navigated environmental upheaval can illuminate how ecosystems respond now.
This research also leveraged ancient proteins recovered from the rhino’s tooth enamel, a breakthrough led by Ryan Sinclair Paterson of the Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen. Published in Nature, these proteins—about 21 million years old—are far older than the oldest known ancient DNA, offering a new window into evolutionary history and the timing of species divergence.
Beyond reconstructing evolutionary trees, the team believes ancient proteins will enable bigger questions about evolutionary trends and biogeography. Paterson cautions, however, that preserving fossil-rich Arctic sites like the Haughton Impact Crater is increasingly challenging due to climate change, which accelerates erosion and deglaciation that threaten invaluable fossil records.
The new species honors its surroundings and a local Inuit elder, Jarloo Kiguktak, who helped guide the naming: Epiatheracerium itjilik, with itjilik meaning “frost” in Inuktitut. CMN’s collaboration with Kiguktak dates back to 2008, emphasizing the importance of indigenous partnerships in scientific discovery.
Experts like Lawrence Bradley of the University of Nebraska advocate for deeper integration of indigenous knowledge in research, arguing it strengthens community bonds, enriches scientific understanding, and can inspire local youth to engage in discoveries about their homeland. Bradley would welcome even more detail on collaborative efforts in published work, highlighting the broader value of these partnerships.
