Sinotherium ("Chinese Beast") is an extinct genus of single-horned elasmotheriine rhinocerotids that lived from the late Miocene (Tortonian - Messinian) to Early Pliocene.

The first fossils, which also led to the description of the rhinoceros genus, came to light at the beginning of the 20th century and were discovered by JG Andersson in the Baode district in the Chinese province of Shanxi in deposits from the Upper Miocene.

[1] The most complete skull to date was found in the upper area of the Liushu Formation near Houaigou in the Guanghe District of Gansu Province.

[5] Sinotherium first appeared during the Late Miocene, occupying east Asian and Mid-Asian regions, but remains dating to the Early Pliocene can be found from eastern Asia to as far as the Kumo-Manych depression of South-Western Russia.

In China, the species S. lagrelii is known from an age of 7 Ma from the red clays of the Late Miocene Liushu Formation in the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, accompanying one bear (Ursavus sp.

), one giraffid (Palaeotragus microdon), and three bovids (Sinotragus wimani, Tsaidamotherium hedini and Protoryx sp.).

Pollen analysis of the Liushu Formation showed that grasses increased significantly and became dominant, especially xerophilous and sub-xerophilous grasses, along with some broad leaves of temperate and warm temperate zones, suggesting that the vegetation of the Liushu Formation belonged to a subarid or arid steppe.

It coexisted with four caniforms (Martes sp., Promeles sp., Plesiogulo crassa Teilhard, Indarctos punjabiensis), three feliforms (Adcrocuta eximia, Hyaenictitherium hyaenoides orlovi, Amphimachairodus kurteni), three perissodactyls (Hipparion hippidiodus, H. elegans, Chilotherium sp.