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Fossil Id Confirmation - White River Skull


leftoversalmon

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This has been in the family for probably 60+ years. I have handled it and seen it countless times, prior to this it has sat in the bottom of a garage cabinet drawer for the longest time, and now I'm bringing it to you! This skull was caked in matrix on one side and mostly exposed on the other before I started working on it (first picture is the exposed side). I think I have the ID correct, I believe it's a Hyracodon skull, I'm looking for confirmation and I'm also curious as to which "sub member" these are found in... Brule, Chadron, or another layer of the White River Formation (I'm new to this and the majority of my research has been more geared toward the Cretaceous period of my state, thanks in part to the Jurassic Park movies ... :) ) . Forgive me as I haven't done a ton of research on the White River area, or ever stepped foot there... I know it's tough to believe as I live right here in South Dakota, but I continue to tell myself every time I drive by on I90 "next time", so maybe soon I'll put my boots on that ground. (I know that it's illegal to collect bone fossils in the  National Park, but its an absolutely beautiful area that I have yet to check out). Anyway, here are the most recent preparation photos. (I have a decent amount of progress photos if anyone is interested). I'm not quite done with prep yet and I'm happy to take more detailed photos of anything someone might find interesting.

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  • Fossildude19 changed the title to Fossil Id Confirmation - White River Skull
11 minutes ago, steelhead9 said:

Yes, a hyracodon, and a pretty darn nice one at that!

I would agree, congratulations on a cool fossil! I hope I find one like that when i'm in that formation later this summer.

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Yes, a very nice Hyracodon. Hyracodon is found throughout the Brule Formation - Orellan and Whitneyan (or Scenic and Poleslide members), and on into the early Arikareean. The family seems to originate mid-late Eocene, but the Chadron Formation finds are usually designated as different genera. 

 

Bob

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3 hours ago, PaleoNoel said:

I would agree, congratulations on a cool fossil! I hope I find one like that when i'm in that formation later this summer.

Good luck to you! Hopefully the weather cooperates while you're out there.

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2 hours ago, rfarrar said:

Yes, a very nice Hyracodon. Hyracodon is found throughout the Brule Formation - Orellan and Whitneyan (or Scenic and Poleslide members), and on into the early Arikareean. The family seems to originate mid-late Eocene, but the Chadron Formation finds are usually designated as different genera. 

 

Bob

Exactly what I was after. Much appreciated!

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I wonder if the fossil hunting is just as good in other garages in your area. :D

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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Congrats on the great prep!  additional info from:

 

Benton, R.C., Terry, D.O., Evanoff, E., & McDonald, H.G. 2015

The White River Badlands: Geology and Paleontology.

Indiana University Press, 222 pp.

 

Stratigraphic and Geographic Distribution: The genus appears in the Duchesnean and became extinct in the early early Arikareean, making the last member of the family in North America.  In South Dakota, Hyracodon nebraskensis is present in all members of the Brule Formation, and H. leidyanus is present in the Poleslide Member of the Brule Formation.  Hyracodon priscidens is present in the Peanut Peak Member of the Chadron Formation. 

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Looks great! Makes me want to go check my garage cabinet drawers to see what I left in there. Doubt I’ll find anything this good though! 

The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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16 hours ago, caldigger said:

He seems happy to be out of that drawer.

Wouldn't you be? :D

'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'

George Santayana

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7 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

I wonder if the fossil hunting is just as good in other garages in your area. :D

Loving all the garage cabinet comments. I know there’s more goodies in one particular garage. I doubt I’d have much luck or be a free man very long if I started fossil hunting in random garages though...

 

5 hours ago, piranha said:

Stratigraphic and Geographic Distribution: The genus appears in the Duchesnean and became extinct in the early early Arikareean, making the last member of the family in North America.  In South Dakota, Hyracodon nebraskensis is present in all members of the Brule Formation, and H. leidyanus is present in the Poleslide Member of the Brule Formation.  Hyracodon priscidens is present in the Peanut Peak Member of the Chadron Formation. 

Interesting, I didn’t realize there were multiple species. 

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nice Hyracodon skull.  Yup, illegal to collect these in the National Park, and also illegal to collect them on the National Grassland, and the Pine Ridge and Rosebud (and all) Reservations which leaves very few acres of private land to check out... with the owners' permission, of course.  Good luck.  

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