American Bison Skull - Ancient Or Plains?

[Mr. Scratch]

Hi, brand new guy here. I've been trying to figure out an item I bought and could really use some help.

I bought this buffalo skull at the flea market. The seller told me it was a Plains Indian that was obtained in Wyoming, dating from the 1870s. I have no way to confirm this, but that's not why I'm here.

The more I look at the horns on this skull, and the way they seem to project more horizontally from the skull, the more I begin to suspect this may be an ancient bison (Bison Antiquus) as opposed to a more recent Plains Bison that would have been hunted in the 19th century (which had more upwardly curving horns).

here is my skull:

IMO this skull more closely resembles these...

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/rivervoyag...urces_photoview

http://www.vicksburgpost.com/articles/2007...news/news02.txt

http://web.missouri.edu/~news/releases/bisonantiquus.JPG

...than these more modern varieties:

http://www.davelennard.com/files/nov%20website%20109.JPG

http://www.taxidermyforsaleonline.com/imag...ffalo_skull.jpg

Granted, the modern examples here all have the "bark" of the horn intact, while mind does not. Also, mine is smaller than I might expect on an ancient buffalo, measuring 24" from horntip to horntip. Can someone help me confirm or deny the age of this skull?

[tracer]

i would bet money (not mine of course - never mine) that your skull isn't from an earlier specie. also, please bear in mind that things others show pictures of and try to sell as "bison skulls" are not necessarily bison skulls, so when you're doing your comparisons, please make sure to use known comparative material.

note the relatively massive size of the antiquus skull, and the protruding eye orbits. also the state of the bone itself. older bone, if it wasn't in a cave or something, would need to have been buried to have lasted many thousands of years. if it were buried that long, some mineralization should have started occurring to make it much heavier than normal bone. does your skull feel more heavy, like a rock?

there should be more photos online if you use google images to search for "bison antiquus". Good luck. Cool skull.