scholarly journals First occurrence of the enigmatic peccaries Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus from the Appalachians: latest Hemphillian to Early Blancan of Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan M. Doughty ◽  
Steven C. Wallace ◽  
Blaine W. Schubert ◽  
Lauren M. Lyon
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Species Range ◽  
Dental Material ◽  
Appalachian Region ◽  
Gray Fossil Site ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Fossil Site

Two peccary species, Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus are described from the medium-bodied fauna of the Gray Fossil Site (GFS) of northeastern Tennessee. This site, recognized as an oak-hickory forest, is latest Hemphillian or earliest Blancan based on mammalian biochronology, with an estimated age of 4.9–4.5 Ma. The GFS represents the only site outside the Palmetto Fauna of Florida with M. elmorei, greatly expanding the species range north over 920 km, well into the Appalachian region. This is also the first Appalachian occurrence of the relatively widespread P. serus. Our understanding of intraspecific variation for both M. elmorei and P. serus is expanded due to morphological and proportional differences found in cranial and dental material from the GFS, Tyner Farm locality, Palmetto Fauna, and within the literature. The GFS M. elmorei material represents the most complete mandible and second cranium for the species, and preserve intraspecific variation in the length of the diastema, dental proportions, and the complexity of the cuspules of the hypoconulid complex. Similarly, mandibular material from the GFS for P. serus exhibited larger dentitions and a greater degree of robustness than currently recognized for the species.

RECONSTRUCTING NUTRIENT HOTSPOTS IN TIME: INSIGHTS FROM THE GRAY FOSSIL SITE, TENNESSEE

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W. Keenan ◽  
◽  
Jennifer M. DeBruyn ◽  
Chris Widga
Keyword(s):  
Gray Fossil Site ◽  
Fossil Site ◽  
Nutrient Hotspots

Cranial morphology and systematics of an extraordinary sample of the Late Neogene dwarf tapir, Tapirus polkensis (Olsen)

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Hulbert ◽  
Steven C. Wallace ◽  
Walter E. Klippel ◽  
Paul W. Parmalee
Keyword(s):  
Single Species ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Cranial Morphology ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Average Mass ◽  
Gray Fossil Site ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Late Neogene ◽  
Fossil Site ◽  
Almost All

The previously poorly known “Tapiravus” polkensis Olsen, 1960 (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Tapiridae) is now known from abundant, well preserved specimens from both the type area in central Florida and from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS) in eastern Tennessee. The latter has produced over 75 individuals, the greatest number of tapirids from a single fossil site, including many articulated skeletons. Almost all linear measurements taken on skulls, mandibles, and cheek teeth from GFS have coefficients of variation less than 10 (most between 3 and 7), indicating the presence of a single species. However, the sample reveals considerable intraspecific variation for a few key morphologic features, including development of the sagittal crest, outline shape of the nasals, and number and relative strength of lingual cusps on the P1. The Florida sample of T. polkensis is more limited, but has the same state as the GFS sample for all preserved characters of systematic significance, and while the Florida teeth are on average smaller (especially narrower lower cheek teeth), they fall either within or just below the observed range of the Gray Fossil Site population. The new material supports a reassignment of “Tapiravus” polkensis to the genus Tapirus, and demonstrates that the geologic age of the species is significantly younger than previously thought, Hemphillian rather than Barstovian. Tapirus polkensis is the smallest known North American Tapirus, and smaller than any of the extant species in the genus, with an estimated average mass of 125 kg.

High-resolution gravity study of the Gray Fossil Site

Geophysics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. B25-B32 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Whitelaw ◽  
K. Mickus ◽  
M. J. Whitelaw ◽  
J. Nave
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Gravity Anomaly ◽  
Drill Hole ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Gravity Measurement ◽  
Gray Fossil Site ◽  
Residual Gravity ◽  
Residual Gravity Anomaly ◽  
Fossil Site ◽  
Anomaly Map

The Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee, has produced a remarkable Mio-Pliocene fauna and flora with no known correlative in the Appalachian region. After its discovery in 2000, a series of auger holes were drilled by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to determine the areal extent of the site. Drilling indicated that the fossils occurred in fill material within a paleokarst basin, but the distribution of boreholes does not permit details of sinkhole topography, and therefore its formation and fill history, to be adequately resolved. To better image the sinkhole basin, a high-resolution gravity survey, which included 1104 gravity measurement stations, was conducted. These data were used to create complete Bouguer and residual gravity anomaly maps and a 3D density model via inversionmethods. The residual gravity anomaly map compares favorably with 29 TDOT auger holes drilled to basement, but contains significantly more detail. The residual gravity anomaly map reveals the presence of seven separate sinkholes. However, 3D inverse modeling constrained by drill-hole depths and density data indicates that there are 11 separate sinkholes formed within the Knox Group carbonates. These sinkholes, which range between 20 and [Formula: see text] in depth, are aligned along northwest and northeast trending linear features that correlate to structural features formed during the Appalachian orogenies. It is possible that the overall sinkhole basin formed as the result of partial coalescence of multiple sinkhole structures controlled by a joint system and that the sinkholes then acted as a natural trap for the Gray Fossil Site fauna and flora.

scholarly journals First record and supplementary description of Leporinus amae Godoy, 1980 (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from freshwaters in Argentina

Check List ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 820
Author(s):  
Adriana Almirón ◽  
Jorge Casciotta ◽  
María Cecilia Bruno ◽  
Lubomír Piálek ◽  
Klára Doubnerová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Original Description ◽  
First Record ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Single Specimen ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Misiones Province ◽  
Uruguay River

Leporinus amae is known from the Rio Apuaê (type locality), Rio Canoas and Rio Caveiras tributaries of the Uruguay River basin, in Brazil. The original description of this species was mainly based on a single specimen lacking intraspecific variation in meristic and morphometric of most characters. We expand the range of distribution and report the first occurrence of Leporinus amae in Misiones Province, Argentina. Additionally, we provide a supplementary description of the species.

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