Siberian 'unicorn' walked with early humans

Until, that is, participants in a recent joint Dutch-Russian research project on the mammoth steppe decided to give it a go anyway. Much to their surprise, some of the specimens fell within the time limit for C-14 measurement. One of the members of the project team was Groningen University’s Professor Hans van der Plicht, since retired. He was also Professor by special appointment in Leiden.

A series of 25 Elasmotheria have now been dated. DNA testing has also been carried out on some of them, and other isotopes apart from C-14 have been measured. These unique data were published this week in the prestigious journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

The dating and isotope measurement activities were carried out at the UG Centre for Isotope Research. The youngest ‘unicorn’ dates from around 39,000 years ago, which means that modern man must have been familiar with the species. It also means that this rhino died out much later than previously thought, apparently together with several other large mammals. This wave of extinction was probably the result of major climate fluctuations and the struggle to adapt to a different diet.

The latter is supported by Margot Kuitems’ PhD research on the carbon (13C) and nitrogen (15N) stable isotopes in the carbon-dated bone matter. The Elasmotherium’s striking stable isotope values suggest that the main component of their diet was underground plant parts, such as tubers. This would also explain why they had ever-growing molars. The tubers would have been covered in sand, which would have worn their molars down fast.