Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Geosciences

Date of Award

5-2013

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Steven C. Wallace

Committee Members

Blaine W. Schubert, Jim I. Mead

Abstract

A thorough morphological description of Teleoceras material from the Gray Fossil Site, Gray, Tennessee is provided. This is the only record of a browsing Teleoceras and, as a late Hemphillian locality, represents one of the youngest populations. Linear measurements of post-cranial elements indicate proportional differences between Teleoceras from the Gray Fossil Site and those from other Hemphillian localities. These differences are more pronounced in the elements of the forelimb than in those of the hind limb. Statistical analyses of post-cranial elements from 3 Hemphillian species of Teleoceras suggest that these differences should not be used to separate species. However, the elements do typically sort well by fossil locality, which suggests that post-cranial morphology is plastic enough to become modified within a population. Furthermore, dental morphology comparisons with the holotypes of these species indicate that the GFS rhino represents a previously undescribed species.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Included in

Paleobiology Commons

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