Foreword: A new fossil of an ancient giant rhinoceros has been discovered here, revealing an incredible fact: this alpine land was once the birthplace of Ice Age animals.
This mysterious rhinoceros species, known as the woolly rhinoceros, is a giant beast with horns up to two meters long, which has adapted to the harsh climate of the Tibetan Plateau and thrived there.
Why did the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as a representative of the alpine land, become the habitat of rhinoceros, and how did prehistoric humans hunt such a large animal as the woolly rhinoceros?
Tibetan woolly rhinoceros: a unique creature adapted to the alpine environment
Humans have always been curious about the biodiversity of the planet, especially those that can survive in extreme environments.
In recent research, scientists have discovered a unique species of giant rhinoceros, known as the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros, a discovery that raises new questions about the origin and evolution of these animals adapted to the alpine environment.
The Tibetan woolly rhinoceros is a huge rhinoceros with long hair and pointed horns, and unlike other rhino species, the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros survives in cold, high-altitude regions.
Given the environment in which the species lives, scientists have studied it intensively, exploring its characteristics and adaptability.
Researchers have found that the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros has some unique characteristics that allow it to survive in alpine environments, and its long hair can provide it with additional warmth and help keep its body temperature stable at low temperatures.
The pointed horns can be used not only as an offensive weapon, but also to clear snow from the surface to quickly find snow-covered plants.
In fact, the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros has a range of adaptation strategies to combat the cold weather conditions, and its relatively low weight helps it move freely in the snow and reduces the pressure on the ground.
However, the study of the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros does not stop at its external characteristics, and scientists have also gained a deep understanding of its evolutionary trends and living habits.
During the Ice Age 5 million years ago, the Tibetan Plateau became a world of ice and snow. This extreme environment provides a special "training ground" for animals that can adapt to this cold climate to spread over a wider area as the planet cools.
Studies have shown that the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros originated on the Tibetan Plateau, rather than originating near the Arctic Circle and then migrating south, as originally suggested.
Through fossil materials and field investigations, scientists have supported this idea, and not only have fossils of woolly rhinoceros been found in the Zada Basin of the Tibetan Plateau, but also traces of other cold-adapted animals have been found in this area.
Over the past 3.7 million years, the glacial fauna of the Tibetan plateau has evolved to adapt to cold environments.
Although they eventually left the plateau and migrated to the lower altitudes and higher latitudes of northern Eurasia, this does not negate the sight of these animals on the Tibetan Plateau.
The life of the woolly rhinoceros
The Tibetan Plateau, with its magnificent mountains and vast grasslands, is an ideal place for many animals to breed here, but the beauty of the Tibetan Plateau has not been achieved overnight, but has undergone millions of years of geological changes.
During the Triassic period, most of the Tibetan Plateau was a vast ocean, and fossils of various marine organisms can be found in the sedimentary rocks of that era.
The marine environment has gradually shifted to land and has left a breathtaking fossil record in ancient times.
Deep in the Himalayas, scientists have found fossils of ichthyosaurs and whirllodon sharks, creatures that prove that the area was once a rich and diverse marine ecosystem.
However, the real transformation of the Tibetan Plateau began in the modern era, which is closely related to the northern drift of the Indian Ocean.
In the early part of the Cenozoic Era, Eurasia collided with the Tibetan Plateau, and then the crust was uplifted over a period of 30 million years, a geological evolution that was marked by violent volcanic activity and earthquakes, culminating in the magnificent landscape of the Tibetan Plateau.
Organisms are very sensitive to climate and environmental changes, and have also produced different responses to adapt to the geomorphological evolution of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and some animals choose to migrate north and south to escape the impact of climate change.
In the strata of the Early Miocene, scientists have found many fossilized rhino bones, which prove that a large number of rhinos once bred in the Tibetan Plateau.
In particular, the fossils of the Xinjiang three-toed horse in the Ali region are widely found in the Pliocene strata, and this horse is extremely fast and tolerant on land, making it a top runner in the plateau.
Fossil and climatic reconstructions suggest that the treeline height during the Early Miocene should have been around 4,000 meters above sea level, meaning that creatures such as the woolly rhinoceros lived in a wider grassland rather than in the mountains, as is the case with modern rhinos.
The last habitat
In ancient China, people had a magical understanding and cultural interpretation of rhino horn, believing that it had medicinal properties and was used to treat various diseases, such as high fever and poisoning.
Rhino horns have also become a symbol of power and wealth, and the number of rhinos in China has gradually declined due to the prosperity of ancient Chinese society and the expansion of human activities.
In modern times, China has become an important market for global demand for rhino horn, especially from Asian buyers, who continue to believe that rhino horn is a precious medicinal herb with miraculous benefits, such as curing cancer and improving sexual performance.
In Chinese history, several species of rhinos have lived, including the Indian, Javanese, and Sumatran rhinos, which have special physical characteristics such as skin wrinkles and the shape of rhino horns.
In ancient China, leaders often hunted and enjoyed these rhinos, and during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, rhinos were used as a banquet ingredient for game and delicacies, symbolizing luxury and prosperity.
During the Warring States period, rhino horns were used to make rhino armor to equip soldiers, and rhino horns were used as an important reward and luxury.
Over time, rhino populations in China have declined dramatically, especially in fertile areas and in the habitats of wild rhinos. Rhinos populations in the south have declined sharply, mainly due to habitat destruction and poaching.
However, Yunnan became the last habitat for rare species such as the one-horned rhinoceros, and the impact of hunting and tribute activities on rhino populations in the Ming and Qing dynasties could not be ignored.
In order to protect rhinos and their habitats in China, enhanced conservation measures are necessary. Fighting poaching, creating nature reserves, and advocating for coexistence between humans and rhinos are all effective ways to do this.
At the same time, it is also important to educate the public and raise awareness about the protection of animals.
The author thinks
China's demand for rhino horn and historical concerns have had a profound impact on rhino survival, and protection should be strengthened and a change in mindset should be advocated to protect these rare animals and their habitats.
Only in this way can we ensure that rhinos can continue in the future.