Reviews
8.35" Colorful Inflated Fossil Tortoise (Stylemys) - South Dakota
This is a 8.35" 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 nicely inflated with mottled, red and grey color preservation.
The shell is about 98% complete. There are some gap filled cracks in a couple of areas across the carapace where natural scute fracturing occurred. The edges of a few of the posterior-most scutes have been restored as well. The plastron is restoration free other than some glue stabilized fractures. Overall this specimen is in great condition!
The shell is about 98% complete. There are some gap filled cracks in a couple of areas across the carapace where natural scute fracturing occurred. The edges of a few of the posterior-most scutes have been restored as well. The plastron is restoration free other than some glue stabilized fractures. Overall this specimen is in great condition!
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.
$1,350
SPECIES
Stylemys nebrascensis
LOCATION
Shannon County, South Dakota
FORMATION
White River Formation
SIZE
Length: 8.35", Width: 6.85", Height: 4"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#373008
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