7.4" Partial, Unprepared Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Skull - South Dakota

Partial, Unprepared Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Skull - South Dakota #192512

This

Artists reconstruction of Merycoidodon. By Nobu Tamura (http://spinops.blogspot.com)

is a partial, 7.4" long, unprepped skull of Merycoidodon culbertsoni, an Oreodont, from the the White River Formation of Pennington County, South Dakota. Most of the skull has been exposed from the rock, however further prep is needed. Aside from a couple bone pieces, no additional material is provided with this specimen. The anterior, left and superior portions of the skull weren't recovered with the specimen. This would be a perfect specimen for someone interested in fossil preparation.

While the skull is partial, it is one of the largest Oreodont skulls that we've ever come across.

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.