Name: Leptauchenia nitida (Oreodont)

Age: Upper Oligocene

Size: mm (25.4mm=1 inch): 80 mm tall, 90 mm wide, 113 mm in length (Skull only)

Location: White River (Brule) Formation, South Dakota

Code: LN1

Price: $595.00 - Sold

Description: This is a fine example of a member of the Oreodontidae from the White River Formation deposits of South Dakota, known as Leptauchenia nitida. The Oredonts are an exclusively North American assemblage that became extinct during the Pliocene. They hold a position intermediate between the ruminant hogs and the suidine Pachyderms. Indeed, the 19th Century paleontologist Joesph Leidy referred to them as "ruminants hogs". Notice the distinctive canine teeth, well preserved in this specimen, giving the jaws a somewhat wolf like appearance. While some features suggest an aquatic habit, such as the high-placed eyes and nostrils, the clawed toes are indicative of a more terrestrial habit. The skull is remarkably well preserved, with all its teeth intact. This specimen has a 55 mm by 35 mm scapula and an 8 mm diameter cervical vertebra also present, an uncommon occurance in an animal which rarely has any post-cranial elements preserved. The matrix has been sculpted to give an impression of the neck, an artistic touch to such a fine example.