3.1" Partial Fossil Canid (Hesperocyon) Skull - Wyoming

Partial Fossil Canid (Hesperocyon) Skull - Wyoming #198228

This is 3.1" long, partial skull of the canid Hesperocyon sp. that was collected from the Oligocene age Brule Formation in the White River Badlands of South Dakota. Many of the teeth are still present, none of which are composite or restored. Natural rock has been left along back posterior end of the skull for presentation and stability purposes, and the rock has been cut flat for aesthetic presentation of the specimen.

Hesperocyon is an extinct genus of the family Canidae. The name Hesperocyon means "Dog from the West" and they resembled modern day foxes. They were small and agile, much like a domestic cat, and lived only in North America. Their bodies were long and flexible, and they had a tail, 42 teeth, inner ears that were enclosed in bone instead of cartilage, and relatively short legs with five toes. Fossil records suggest that Hesperocyon was one of the earliest members of the canid family to appear.