Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Jaw In Matrix

This is nicely prepared jaw of Merycoidodon gracilis an Oreodont. It was collected from the the Brule Formation in South Dakota and would be approximately 32-34 million years old. It's still partially embedded in the matrix it was found in, and the specimen sits up nicely without the need for a display stand.

Oreodonts (the common name for Merycoidodontoidea) are extinct mammals most closely related to camels and pigs, though they have no close relatives living today. They were herbivorous animals 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.