Abstract
The Miocene of North America was characterized by a transition from C3 woodlands to more open C4 grasslands. This transition drove sympatric rhinoceroses of the Ogallala Group, Aphelops and Teleoceras, to adapt in different ways. With the two responding differently, their osteological morphology should reflect this. An animal’s mass and locomotor habit are reflected by their skeleton as is the record of injury, stress, and disease. Twenty-two unassociated specimens (10 Teleoceras humeri, 10 Teleoceras femurs, and 2 Aphelops humeri), from the Fort Hays Sternberg Museum paleontology collection were analyzed. To study this relationship, the femur and humerus were selected as the postcranial elements of interest. These elements can provide information for body mass estimations, locomotor habit, and pathology. Utilizing the same elements for all three analyses minimizes uncertainty and added variance. Using Scott's (1990) ungulate body mass regressions, seven separate aspects of the humerus and eight for the femur were measured. Measurements were then input into taxon-specific regressions to derive body mass. Chen and Wilson's (2015) equations were used to determine cursoriality and locomotor habit. Specimens were scored for pathologies using Stilson's (2016) index to quantify damage to the skeleton. The correlation between body mass, locomotor habit, and pathology will be assessed through linear regressions. It is hypothesized that the large-bodied, more graviportal Teleoceras will exhibit a higher frequency of load-bearing pathologies compared to the lighter, more cursorial Aphelops. This study provides a transferable quantitative framework for understanding how differences in niche partitioning manifests in morphology.
Faculty Advisor
Amanda Peng
Department/Program
Geosciences
Submission Type
in-person poster
Date
4-13-2026
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Moses, Kaden W. and Peng, Amanda
(2026)
"A Heavy Burden: Linking Body Mass, Locomotion, and Osteopathology in Aphelops and Teleoceras,"
SACAD: Scholarly Activities: Vol. 2026, Article 92.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2026/iss2026/92
