Lot 501
Fossil Oreodon Skull. This forerunner of the present-day sheep was a significant cog in the evolutionary chain. It appeared in the Eocene period, about 50 million years ago, when relatively small, fur-bearing, warm-blooded creatures had taken over domination of the earth from the dinosaurs, which had ruled without opposition for a period of some 150 million years. Quite possibly (though not an opinion that enjoys universal endorsement), there was a direct connection between the rise of the one and fall of the other, as mammals might have devoured the dinosaur's eggs prior to hatching and brought about their extinction. The Oreodon was a bit larger than a German Shepard dog. Being docile,and probably quite tasty, it was a favorite prey of the day's predators, but they could not succeed in wiping it out. Its genetics, and quite a bit else, went down into today's sheep.
This is a wonderfully preserved skull reattached to the original matrix, about 7 1/2" x 5", wdith an overall size, counting the matrix, of about 10" x 8". Nearly all of the teeth are not only present, but so clearly defined that the original contrast in coloration between the portion gumline and below gumline is still present. Collected in Montana many years ago.
Estimated Value $550 - 650.
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| Realized $633 |
