Rare, 5.5" Partial Bear Dog (Daphoenus) Skull With Associated Bones

Rare, Partial Bear Dog (Daphoenus) Skull With Associated Bones #175652

This is a rare, 5.5" long, partial bear dog (Daphoenus sp) skull from the Brule Formation of Niobrara County, Wyoming. It's extrodinarily hard to come by any bear dog material and this is only the second time we've had any material to offer. The partial skull comes with fourteen other bones fragments that were found associated with it. These include some partial jaw sections, vertebrae sections, and head of a limb bone.

It comes with an acrylic display stand.

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.