Name:
Subhyracodon occidentalis Jaw
Age: Oligocene
Formation: Brule Formation
Location: South Dakota
Size: Jaw is almost 6 inches long
This specimen is not for sale
Click here for similar specimens that are for sale
This is a very rare vertebrate fossil. It is a nice Subhyracodon occidentalis jaw from the Oligocene of South Dakota. Subhyracodon was a cow-sized rhinoceros that lived from the early Chadronian to the Whitneyan (39-30 mya) primarily in the central Great Plains region of North America. During this time period, rhinocerotids occupied the large bodied herbivorous niches in North America - Subhyracodon is a hornless rhino. The cheek teeth of rhinocerotids are characterized by a pi shaped surface for grinding up tough vegetation. Field identification of postcranial material of Subhyracodon is often recognized by its large size and robustness compared to other taxa within a deposit.
This is part of the lower jaw of the animal. There are two large, well preserved molars still intact in the jaw. Also, there is an unerupted molar exposed still encased in the bone of the jaw - this is extremely rare in the fossil record. The quality of the fossil bone is superb, and the overall preservation and shape is outstanding. This is a collectible example of a fossil Rhino jaw from the Western United States.
|
