3.4" Fossil Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Partial Mandible - South Dakota

Fossil Oreodont (Merycoidodon) Partial Mandible - South Dakota #285663

This is a 3.4" long partial mandible (lower jaw) of Merycoidodon, an oreodont from the Oligocene-aged White River Formation of Souix County, South Dakota. There are a few repaired cracks through the specimen and a section of rock has been left attached to the jaw for structural purposes.

Comes with an acrylic display stand.

Artist's reconstruction of Merycoidodon. By Nobu Tamura (http://spinops.blogspot.com) Creative Commons License

Oreodonts are an extinct mammal most closely related to camels and pigs. They have no close relatives living today. They were herbivorous, with short faces and fang-like canine teeth. About the size of a sheep, they roamed the plains of North America in huge numbers during the Oligocene period.