Researchers at East Tennessee State University’s Gray Fossil Site and Museum have discovered fossils representing one of the earliest records of the deer family in North America, according to an announcement.
ETSU researchers said the 5-million-year-old fossils of Eocoileus gentryorum, described in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, include part of a juvenile skull, an upper molar and limb bones.
Blaine Schubert, executive director of the Gray Fossil Site and Museum, said the recent findings reveal more about the “incredible diversity of life that once flourished in Tennessee.†The discovery joins other finds at the site over recent years, including a strong-jawed salamander, a giant flying squirrel, ancient tapirs and mastodon fossils.
He said some animals like deer, for instance, have demonstrated “amazing resilience through geological time.â€
“The Gray Fossil Site continues to yield extraordinary discoveries that reshape our understanding of ancient life,†he said in the announcement. “Our team’s collaborative research is uncovering remarkable stories about how ecosystems have evolved over millions of years.â€
The research team was led by Head Curator Joshua Samuels and included recent graduate Olivia Williams and Assistant Collections Manager Shay Maden. The discovery underscores the incredible versatility of deer as a species, according to the researchers.
“These early deer are generally smaller than modern deer species in the New World,†Williams said. “The only smaller species today are the Key deer of Florida and brocket deer of Central and South America.â€
Fossil evidence from Washington and Florida shows the early deer often moved coast-to-coast after arriving in North America, adapting to diverse habitats from Pacific forests to Appalachian highlands. The species was previously only known to be from Florida.
“Deer have probably filled the same ecological role in Appalachian forests for nearly 5 million years,†Samuels said, “persisting and thriving through dramatic climate changes and habitat shifts that eliminated other large herbivores from the region.â€
