4.1" Fossil Oreodont (Leptauchenia) Partial Skull - South Dakota

Fossil Oreodont (Leptauchenia) Partial Skull - South Dakota #355963

This is a partial skull of Leptauchenia decora, an oreodont from the oligocene-aged Brule Formation (White River Badlands Group) of South Dakota. The skull is approximately 75% complete with very little crushing and beautiful teeth preservation.

Comes with an acrylic display stand to assist with presentation.

Because the eyes and nostrils were placed high on the head, it was long assumed that Leptauchenia was an aquatic or semi-aquatic animal. However, because their fossils have never been found in floodplain deposits or river channels but are found abundantly in fossil sand dunes, paleontologist Donald Prothero suggests that they were desert-dwelling animals. According to Prothero's interpretation, the high-placed eyes and nostrils served to filter out sand while burrowing, or while digging themselves free of sand dunes.

$325

SPECIES

Leptauchenia decora

AGE

Oligocene (30 - 33 Million Years)