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Name:
Desmostylus hesperus
Age: Middle Miocene
Formation: Temblor Formation
Location: Fresno County, California
Size: Tooth is 2.5 inches across
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This is an exceptional example of an unusual tooth. This is ia fine Desmostylus hesperus tooth from Calofornia. The name Desmostylus is from the Greek meaning, ''linked pillars''. These semi-marine mammals had bodies resembling a hippopotamus, with four stout legs and four small tusks. These ''sea cows'' may have paddled around shallow water crushing shellfish for food with their heavy, columnar teeth, or they may have been herbivores, or omnivores. Their closest living relatives are the Elephants and Manatees. Desmostylians grew nearly two meters in length and are thought to have weighed more than 1500 pounds. This tooth shows that detail of the enamel beautifully. The tooth is still encased in a solid matrix base. This is a super example of a molar from this strange Miocene animal.
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