Rare, 2.4" Fossil Bear Dog (Daphoenus) Jaw Section - South Dakota

Rare, Fossil Bear Dog (Daphoenus) Jaw Section - South Dakota #143951

This is a rare, 2.4" wide upper jaw section of Daphoenus sp., a Bear Dog from the Brule Formation of Pennington County, South Dakota. There are two complete teeth still within this section of jaw and rock has been left attached to the bone. There are repaired cracks through this specimen.

This comes from a small collection (eight pieces) of bear dog material we recently acquired. This is the only material we've ever had available.

Daphoenus is an extinct genus of "Bear Dog" that inhabited North America from the Middle Eocene to the Middle Miocene, existing for approximately 21 million years. Bear dogs earned their name for their mix of dog and bear-like characteristics. They were about the size of modern day coyotes and had short legs optimized for quick sprints as opposed to long distance running, indicating that they ambushed their prey instead of chasing them down. Fossil footprints suggest that like present day bears, these animals walked in a flat-footed way. It's believed that they dug burrows as shelter for themselves and their offspring.