Fossils of Teleoceras, a barrel-bodied rhino, that are some of the most widely found ancient herbivores. You can see them all the way out at the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park in northern Nebraska. This species ruled at the time of 12 million years ago’s Miocene Epoch. That period was dynamic, marked by major climatic shifts and tectonic upheaval. This is the period during which the massive Yellowstone supervolcano erupted. This tragic disaster completely disrupted the balance of the region’s ecosystem.
The explosion created the largest ash cloud in recorded history across North America. Over time, it deposited nearly a foot of debris blanketing the countryside that Teleoceras and their fellow megafauna used to roam. This cataclysmic eruption was a major factor in the extinction of Teleoceras. Almost a hundred years later, researchers are starting to make sense of this mass death. Excavations at the site have exposed about 200 animal skeletons, including more than 100 mostly complete skeletons of Teleoceras, shown in this model.
Clark Ward, paleontologist at the University of Utah, headed his research team in a thorough investigation. Together, they performed new chemical analyses on enamel covers from 13 fossilized Teleoceras molars. Specifically, they looked at the ratios of the different isotopes or atomic forms of oxygen, carbon, and strontium that the teeth contained. These ratios are incredibly powerful because they identify exact geographic coordinates. This makes it easier for researchers to track modes of movement such as running, swimming, or flying among prehistoric animals.
These results indicate that Teleoceras may have lived in large herds, possibly consisting of dozens of animals. This destructive behavior severely hurt the ecosystem. By consuming nitrogen-poor, older vegetation and fertilizing it in the process through their manuring, these colonizing herbivores significantly enhanced primary plant production across their newly-established ecosystems. Ward noted that these new interactions were key to understanding the ancient ecosystem.
“I suspected young males to travel far distances in search of mates, likely having to try and try again,” – Clark Ward
Ward was surprised to find scant evidence that Teleoceras migrated across long distances. He had hypothesized that young males would travel the greatest distances from their natal locations to find mates. The analysis of strontium ratios in their teeth did not corroborate this hypothesis, indicating a much more localized existence for these ancient creatures.
Danielle Fraser, an evolutionary biologist who worked on the study, emphasized the critical role strontium ratios can play. This approach is instrumental to discovering migratory routes. “The ratios can be used to see if ancient animals traveled between regions,” she confirmed. This study is the first to explore Teleoceras in such detail. In addition to its fame, the site provides important perspectives on the broader Ashfall ecosystem amid global upheaval.
This find of Teleoceras fossils at Ashfall Fossil Beds is revolutionary. It is giving us amazing insights into how these prehistoric animals were interacting with their environment and their ecosystem around them. These results shed light on the process of adaptation across environments. More importantly, they demonstrate how these species responded to catastrophic events such as volcanic eruptions.
“It would have been like a bad dust storm,” – Clark Ward
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