3.5" Fossil Oreodont (Leptauchenia) Skull - South Dakota

Fossil Oreodont (Leptauchenia) Skull - South Dakota #249245

This is a 3.5 skull of Leptauchenia decora, an oreodont from the oligocene-aged White River Formation of Pennington County, South Dakota. The preservation of the teeth and bone are quite excellent.

Comes with an acrylic display stand to assist with presentation.

The canines and incisors of the maxilla have been restored, with the remaining teeth being natural and unrestored. The prep work on this skull is exceptional. Restoration makes up approximately 10-15% of this specimen.

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.