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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-5946 |
| Date | 01 May 2024 |
| Creators | Scaife, Thomas |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors. |
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