Rhothonemys was discovered in the Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco, in deposits dated to the Paleogene. It is known from a partial skull, lacking the palate and basicranium, and a lower jaw, stored in the American Museum of Natural History.[1][2]
The genus name is derived from the Greek word ῥώθων (rhothon) "nose" and alludes to the huge nasal opening. The species name R. brinkmani honors the paleontologist Donald Brinkman.[1]