Excellent Miocene Mustelid Fossil Skull from Linxia Basin

Description: Presented is a truly remarkable specimen I just acquired from an academically and scientifically important collection. The piece was procured over ten years ago. This pre-dates the ban on export of most vertebrate fossils from China. I doubt material of this nature will be available in the future.

The skull is mostly intact. The dentition is awesome. There has been absolutely no reconstruction or enhancement of this specimen.

Mustelidae or Mustelids (from Latin mustela, weasel), commonly referred to as the weasel family, is a family of carnivorous mammals. The Mustelidae is a diverse family and the largest in the order Carnivora, at least partly because it has in the past been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa. They are typically small animals with short legs, short round ears, and thick fur. Most mustelids are solitary, nocturnal animals, and are active all year long.