A rhinoceros belonging to the species Dihoplus Pikermiensis, dating back 8 to 8.5 million years, has been found in the Sitia Geopark (eastern Crete), once again highlighting the palaeontological wealth of the UNESCO Global Geopark.

The scientific research was led by professor of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy Georgios Iliopoulos and his team from the laboratory of the Department of Geology at the University of Patras.

Speaking to ANA-MPA, Iliopoulos emphasized that last March, during a palaeontological survey conducted in the Magantze and Trapeza areas of the geopark, they located a new site with fossilized bones.

Among them, the skull of a large mammal stood out. “The material was transported to the Laboratory of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy of the Department of Geology at the University of Patras, where it was cleaned and conserved, while during its study it became apparent that it is a rhinoceros skull.”

The Sitia UNESCO Global Geopark encompasses a palaeontological history spanning nearly 300 million years.