8" Unprepared Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Skull - South Dakota

Unprepared Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Skull - South Dakota #192509

This

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

is an 8" 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. It is accompanied by the remaining skull pieces and rock in a separate bag. This would be a perfect specimen for someone interested in fossil preparation.

The skull hasn't undergone any restoration, though some portions of the bone and rock have been stabilized with glue.

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.