1.65" Fossil Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Partial Jaw - South Dakota

Fossil Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Partial Jaw - South Dakota #295199

This is a 1.65" long partial mandible (lower jaw) of Merycoidodon, an oreodont from the Oligocene-aged White River Formation of Souix County, South Dakota. It holds two intact teeth and comes from the rear of the right-side mandible.

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.

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