The woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) is one of several species of rhinoceros that lived in Europe and Italy during the Pleistocene glaciations. Standing at more than two metres tall and weighing about two tons, this was a mighty herbivore. As with the mammoth, a few well-preserved remains of the woolly rhinoceros have also been found in the Siberian permafrost, allowing us to know quite a lot about its anatomy. We know that it was covered with thick fur, making it well suited to the cold weather. We also know that it had two horns on its snout. These were made of keratin, the substance that our nails and hair are made of. The front horn was very large, and could exceed one metre in length. These traits are rarely preserved in fossil form, and indeed are missing in the specimen on display in the museum. However, they have left noticeable marks: look carefully at the tip of the rhino’s snout!
