5.1" Fossil Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Skull - South Dakota

Fossil Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Skull - South Dakota #285130

This is a 5.1" long skull of an oreodont (Merycoidodon culbertsoni), collected from the White River Formation (Brule subunit) in South Dakota and would be approximately 30-33 million years old. A neat addition to this skull is the preserved atlas vertebra seen at the posterior end of the skull. Typically the vertebrae become disarticulated and lost over the years. This skull is approximately 95% complete with glue stabilized cracks and no bone restoration.

It is accompanied by an acrylic display stand to assist with presentation.

Both zygomatic arches are missing, along with a portion of the right orbital. The anterior end of the upper and lower jaw has undergone some compression. All of the teeth are natural and non-composites.

Artist's reconstruction of Merycoidodon. By Nobu Tamura (http://spinops.blogspot.com) Creative Commons License

Oreodonts are an extinct mammal most closely related to camels and pigs. They have no close relatives living today. They were herbivorous, with short faces and fang-like canine teeth. About the size of a sheep, they roamed the plains of North America in huge numbers during the Oligocene period.