Sculpted Stone

This is a very rare vertebrate fossil. It is a large, impressive 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 was 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 impressive mandible is essentially a complete lower right jaw. There are six large molars still intact in the jaw. Also, the jaw's temporal attachment point (where the jaw touches the skull) is fully preserved (this is extremely rare - the bone is very thin and brittle at that point and usually shatters easily). The quality of the fossil bone is superb, and the overall shape is just textbook. Overall, this is the best quality and most complete Subhyracodon occidentalis jaw we have ever had for sale. Great for display!

A Certificate of Authenticity from EXTINCTIONS is included with this specimen.