5-million-year-old deer fossils found at Gray Fossil Site

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5-million-year-old deer fossils found at Gray Fossil Site
Murry Lee
WJHL Tri-Cities
Tue, August 12, 2025 at 11:59 AM EDT
1 min read





GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A likely ancestor of today’s white-tailed deer has been discovered at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum.

In a news release from East Tennessee State University (ETSU), researchers at the fossil site revealed they had uncovered the site’s first fossil deer.

A part of a juvenile skull, an upper molar and different limb bones were discovered at the fossil site.

The fossils of Eocoileus gentryorum belong to a species of deer that was “notably smaller than most modern species,” the release states. Recent graduate student Olivia Williams said early deer were typically smaller than the modern species, with a few exceptions like the Key deer of Florida.

The ancient deer had previously only been known to have lived in Florida.

“The Gray Fossil Site continues to yield extraordinary discoveries that reshape our understanding of ancient life,” Dr. Blaine Schubert, executive director of the Gray Fossil Site and Museum, stated in the release. “Our team’s collaborative research is uncovering remarkable stories about how ecosystems have evolved over millions of years. From tapirs and mastodons to these early deer, we’re revealing the incredible diversity of life that once flourished in Tennessee and how some species, like deer, have shown amazing resilience through geological time.”

The fossils of numerous species have been discovered at the Gray Fossil Site, including a strong-jawed salamander, a giant flying squirrel, a young rhinoceros, bone-crushing dogs, extinct moles and a new-to-science species of horned turtles.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/5-million-old-deer-fossils-155949839.html