Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Geosciences
Date of Award
5-2024
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Steven C. Wallace
Committee Members
Blaine Schubert, Joshua X. Samuels
Abstract
Rhinoceroses were an important part of North America’s Paleogene and Neogene ecosystems, with Teleoceras aepysoma being one of the last representatives of this family. Specimens of T. aepysoma from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS) possess distinct/peculiar pathologies: including a pair of fused ribs and ankylosed phalanges. A qualitative description of the pathologies in the GFS T. aepysoma, including new material, was conducted to accurately identify pathologies and make interpretations about the life history of the GFS rhinos. Analysis suggests that rheumatoid arthritis is common in the lower limb bones of GFS rhinos. Additionally, the rib and toe pathologies are more severe than anticipated, with the ribs showing multiple stages of healing indicating repeated trauma, likely being the first direct evidence of agonistic behavior in Teleoceras. This study provides a glimpse of what pathological conditions rhinocerotids may have been vulnerable to through time, as well as a baseline for future studies.
Document Type
Thesis - embargo
Recommended Citation
Scaife, Thomas, "Pathology and Osteological Observations of Early Pliocene Rhinoceros, Teleoceras aepysoma (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae) from Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4387. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4387
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Paleobiology Commons, Paleontology Commons, Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology Commons, Zoology Commons