Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Geosciences
Date of Award
5-2015
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Steven Wallace
Committee Members
James Mead, Blaine Schubert
Abstract
Due in part to the incompleteness of the Cenozoic fossil record in the eastern U.S., the evolution and immigration of shrews (Soricidae) is not well understood. A rich soricid fauna from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS), Washington County, TN, has enabled many new inferences to be made. There are 7 new species in 6 genera: Paenelimnoecus, “Blarinella”, Petenyia, Tregosorex, Crusafontina, and Gen et sp. nov. GFS species of the genera Paenelimnoecus, “Blarinella”, and Petenyia are the first occurrence of each genus in the New World. Tregosorex, Crusafontina, and the N.A. taxon Limnoecus all have their latest documented occurrence at the GFS, extending their temporal range by at least 1 million years. “Blarinella” sp. nov. has a complete lateral groove in the inferior incisor, providing the earliest evidence for venom in soricids by at least 4 million years. GFS taxa also provide insight into the evolution of both Soricini and Blarinini.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Doby, Joshua, "A Systematic Review of the Soricimorph Eulipotyphla (Soricidae: Mammalia) from the Gray Fossil Site (Hemphillian), Tennessee" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2526. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2526
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.