A tragic accident that befellancient rhinosin the mid - Miocene era has appropriate scientist to watch that these massive mammals , which once expand across North America , used to gather in huge super - herd .
Around 12 million years ago , over 100 prehistoric rhinos ( Teleoceras major ) gathered at a single water maw in what is now northeast Nebraska . These one - tusk beast had a cask - shape body and stubby leg , quite like a modern hippo . Also , like hippo , they feed on the gage and may have spent long menstruum of meter either in or around body of water .
While you may have a picturesque trope in your nous , the life-time of these particular rhinos were rationalize short after theYellowstone supervolcanoerupted and ptyalize out cloud of ash tree that eventually entombed them . As a result , the cadaver of these brute , as well as other species of mammals , became preserved in what is now known as the Ashfall Fossil Beds .
Since their discovery in 1971 , investigator have been cognizant that there was an strange number of rhinos receive at this site . This has led to some surmisal as to why so many animals were pull together together at the time of the irruption . Did they gather from far away , perhaps to attempt shelter from the outcome of the volcanic eruption , or were they together for a unlike understanding ? Well , Modern psychoanalysis seems to hint that something else was going on : the animals may have constitute orotund ruck instead .
" We found they did n’t move very much , " lead author and University of Cincinnati graduate Clark Ward explain in astatement .
" We did n’t find grounds for seasonal migration or any evidence of a answer to the tragedy . "
Ward analyzed isotopes – elements that have selfsame numbers of proton but different numeral of neutrons – in the rhinoceros ’ tooth as part of a master ’s research labor overseen by Brooke Crowley at the University of Cincinnati and Professor Ross Secord , from the University of Nebraska . Together the squad examined the ratio of isotopes of strontium , oxygen , and carbon in the tooth to assess the animal ’s motion across their ancient landscape .
How can you tell where animals roamed based on this ? Well , grass and leaves have similar isotope as the grunge and bedrock where they grow . So , if animal eat this vegetation , they ingest these isotope , allow researcher to regulate where the animals fed . This form of analysis can be surprisingly precise , depending on how varying the flora and geology were .
The proficiency is used today for wildlifeconservation , as it can facilitate track the migration of astray - ranging animals , such as caribou . It can also avail to identify the home ground needs of other elusive animate being , like jaguars .
" By studying carbon paper in the animal , we can reconstruct carbon paper in the surroundings to understand what kind of vegetation lived there , " Ward excuse .
At the same time , O can inform scientists about the surrounding mood , especially rain .
" We can apply it to reconstruct how wet or dry out the environs was , " Ward sound out . " And Sr tells us where the animal was foraging because the ratio of isotopes is related to the soil and supporting bedrock . "
T. majorwas a pretty large and squat beast , so it had few natural predator . However , their young were vulnerable , specially when face withbone - crushing dogs(Borophagus hilli ) . There is even grounds at the Ash Fall internet site that predator ate component of their bodies after they exit from the eruption .
Unlike the people killed whenVesuvius erupted , the rhinos that perspired at this web site did not exit promptly after the supervolcano erupted . Instead , they gradually succumb to the flow of ash tree that travel for hundreds of statute mile on the winds .
" That ash tree would have covered everything : the pot , leaves and piddle , " Ward add . " The rhinos in all likelihood were n’t killed directly like the people of Pompeii . Instead , it was much slow . They were breathing in the ash . And they likely hunger to death . "
Ward , who work as an intern at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park , is now conduct Ph.D. research at the University of Minnesota .
" I ’m abide by and privileged to have my name in skill attach to the website , " Ward say . " As someone who used to go to Ashfall as a kid , it ’s come full circle , ” he enunciate .
The newspaper is publish inScientific Reports .
