4.4" Fossil Oreodont (Leptauchenia) Skull Display - South Dakota

Fossil Oreodont (Leptauchenia) Skull Display - South Dakota #281486

This is a nicely prepared skull of Leptauchenia decora, an oreodont from the oligocene-aged White River Formation of Pennington County, South Dakota. The upper skull and mandible have been prepared as two separate pieces that sit on the accompanied stand/base in articulated fashion.

Upper Skull: Both zygomatic processes have been restored, along with some of the posterior skull elements. All of the incisors and the left canine have been restored. The right canine has a repaired crack at its base.

Mandible: There are several repairs and spots of gap fill through both sides of the jaw. All of the incisors and canines have been restored.

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 abundance 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.