Reviews
6.5" Inflated Fossil Tortoise (Stylemys) - South Dakota
This is a 6.5" long shell (carapace and plastron) of an Oligocene-aged tortoise (Stylemys nebrascensis) from the White River Formation in the Badlands of South Dakota. It is incredibly inflated with beige color preservation and brown-orange colored suture lines.
Comes with a display stand.
The shell is about 96% complete. The carapace has areas of fragmentation, with gap fill and glue stabilization to hold it together. The edges of some of the marginal scutes required restoration as well. A gap fill crack repair can be seen through both the anterior and posterior end of the plastron.
Comes with a display stand.
The shell is about 96% complete. The carapace has areas of fragmentation, with gap fill and glue stabilization to hold it together. The edges of some of the marginal scutes required restoration as well. A gap fill crack repair can be seen through both the anterior and posterior end of the plastron.
Stylemys ("pillar turtle") is the first fossil genus of dry land tortoise discovered in the United States. They lived in temperate to subtropical areas of North America, Europe, and Asia.
These extinct tortoises had primitive jaw muscles, unlike today's tortoises that also display the os transiliens bone, and would have been herbivorous. While Stylemys species did exhibit the same neck structure as modern tortoises, the forelimbs weren't ideal for burrowing.
These extinct tortoises had primitive jaw muscles, unlike today's tortoises that also display the os transiliens bone, and would have been herbivorous. While Stylemys species did exhibit the same neck structure as modern tortoises, the forelimbs weren't ideal for burrowing.
$995
SPECIES
Stylemys nebrascensis
LOCATION
Shannon County, South Dakota
FORMATION
Brule Formation - White River Badlands Group
SIZE
Length: 6.5", Width: 5.5", Height: 3.45"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#373014
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