Texas - Skull base?

[johnnyvaldez7.jv]

Found this bone fragment today in SE Texas on a gravel bank. Not sure what it's from...I was thinking it might be the base of a mammal skull...not sure of the scientific name for it. Has a small bit of matrix on it. Any thoughts? Sorry I haven't had a chance to clean it. And are there teeth marks on it? These closeup marks seem unusual.  

[Brandy Cole]

Based on picture 6, looks like a vertebra to me.  Not sure what kind. It seems oddly flat.

[fossilhunter21]

I agree with vertebra. But I have no idea what it is from. 

 

-Micah

[HuckMucus]

Looks like broken foramen magnum/occiptal/condiles/brain case of some strange creature.

[fossilus]

It looks to me like the back of a skull, like @HuckMucus said, occipital condyles. You might Google "horse skull back" as it looks, to me at least, a lot like a horse skull.

[fossilus]

Horse condyles, found in Brazos.

[JohnJ]

Play with this model for comparison.

[Randyw]

31 minutes ago, JohnJ said:

Play with this model for comparison.

Wow! Thats so cool! I wish i could find a rendering like that for oreodont skulls!

[HuckMucus]

1 hour ago, Randyw said:

Wow! Thats so cool! I wish i could find a rendering like that for oreodont skulls!

Keep looking.  As a Bison latifrons fan, I found a wonderful use of tax-payer dollars with the Bureau of Reclamation and Idaho State University.  Others may have executed the 3d scan of oreodonts.  Not sure.  I've had Mary Lou printed on a smaller scale.  I can't afford full size, but they are nice.  https://virtual.imnh.iri.isu.edu/BoR

Edited May 6, 2022 by HuckMucus

[Mahnmut]

9 hours ago, Randyw said:

Wow! Thats so cool! I wish i could find a rendering like that for oreodont skulls!

None at https://phenome10k.org,

one at http://digimorph.org/specimens/Bathygenys_reevesi/

found 2 at morphosource:

https://www.morphosource.org/concern/biological_specimens/0000S2006?locale=en

https://www.morphosource.org/concern/biological_specimens/000S31480?locale=en

Not much compared to other clades, but the database is growing.

Cheers,

J

[Mahnmut]

https://sketchfab.com/search?q=oreodon&type=models

Some are free download, viewing is always free, quality is often lower than the sources above.

[fossilhunter21]

I have to agree that this looks more like the back of the skull than a vertebra. I never would have guessed. 

 

-Micah

[ClearLake]

Yes, it is the back/base is a horse skull.  I can take some comparative pictures if you would like.  Although, I also have a zebra that looks very similar too, but unless you are on one of the game ranches in Texas, lets go with the odds and say horse. 

[HuckMucus]

When I was a kid, I found a skull that I thought must have been a dinosaur.  Such a tiny brain housing group on such a huge ugly skull.  I was surprised to learn it was from such a beautiful animal as a horse, having grown up with them.