PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY

The fossil record of western Pakistan provides a rich source of information about the evolution and ecology of mammals during the Oligocene and early Miocene geological intervals (from about 34 to about 19 million years ago). This article evaluates fossil rhinoceros teeth recovered from an Oligocene to early Miocene rock layer called the Chitarwata Formation at Zinda Pir Dome in western Pakistan. In contrast to the celebrated Dera Bugti area to the southwest, where rhino and gigantic indricothere fossils are very abundant, rhino fossils are rare in the ancient coastal environments of the Chitarwata Formation. The fossil teeth of this investigation represent an indeterminate species not yet assignable to a known species from Dera Bugti or elsewhere because the observed dental features are shared by several rhinoceros groups. Confirmation of these remains as a new genus and determination of their relationship to other Asian rhinos will require collection of additional fossils. This study contributes to the broader examination of the diversification patterns and ecology of mammals on the Indian subcontinent.