Probably not a fossil

[Jjlegend]

Hi there can anyone  identify the species/age.

guessing old due to the condition of teeth.

also found in The Cotswolds.

ignore back ground clutter of the photos.

[Jjlegend]

Edit: this was found in a really secluded spot. Had to get through nettles and brambles to get to this. Didn’t look like anyone had been there for centuries.

[Jjlegend]

[Jjlegend]

Teeth that fell out of skull

[Randyw]

Looks to me like a modern sika deer skull. Possibly a red but I’d bet sika

[Jjlegend]

In Gloucestershire, English?

[Huntonia]

Definitely modern deer.

[Randyw]

Yep

[Jjlegend]

Thanks 

[Jjlegend]

Can you explains the growths on the antlers?

[Randyw]

Naturaly occurring. 

[Jjlegend]

Interesting, thanks 

[Jjlegend]

Could you guess an age of the skull.

[Randyw]

Age of deer when it died? Relatively young looking at the teeth probably couple years old.  Age of skull since death? Less then a year probably more like 3-4 months. Probably a winter kill...

[Jjlegend]

Oh interesting, many thanks.

[Randyw]

Rodents and things like to chew on bone and antlers in the wild to keep their teeth worn down becuase the front teeth never stop growing. And I’m not seeing a lot of rodent damage to this..

[Jjlegend]

Oh ok, now it makes a lot of sense.

many thanks.

[Randyw]

Here’s my reasoning.  There are 6 types of deer there. The first 2 are native species the others were either introduce or escaped and bred.

1) red deer large animal, big antlers with lots of points, found mainly in the north hence the nickname Scottish red.

2) roe deer small racks 3 points maximum became extinct in the 18th century except up north reintroduce south lands in 19th century. Distinctive horns, possibility for yours but the antlers don’t look quite right For yours.

3) sika deer medium sized medium antlers like the red but not as many spikes. Most common species there antlers look right for young one of these.

4) fallow deer has palmate antlers (think moose) antlers entirely wrong for yours

5)muntjac deer very small single point antlers...

6) Chinese water deer very small no antlers

As to age of deer... the antlers are more developed then a first years horns (spike buck) but not developed enough for a deer more then 3 or so.. plus the teeth still sharp and not showing much wear. Deer only (mainly) get 1 set wich wear out over time. They start with nice sharp edges and wear smooth your pictures appear sharp and well formed yet (and they look like red deer and sika deer teeth wich appear similar) so between antlers and teeth over 2 but not a lot over...

as to how long dead.. maggots will strip the flesh off a skull in about 2 months. And there is a little damage so not perfectly fresh either.  So over 2 months but not much rodent damage and all the really fine thin bones are there so not a lot over but winter would have protect it. Teeth still there but starting to fall out sooo probably died after summer/fall in the nettles wich probably kept the larger predators away (also the lack of heavy damage to the skull)... i could be wrong but that’s my thoughts and opinion adding in my experience with skulls and things I’ve found while hunting,

[Jjlegend]

Thanks very much.