Merycoiodon gracilis
ON-SITE FOSSIL EXCAVATION CAST OREODONT "Merycoiodon gracilis" Oligocene Period Fossil
Direct cast from on-site excavation mold of prehistoric Oreodon "Merycoiodon Gracilis" from the Brule Formation of South Dakota, Oligocene Era.
Direct cast from on-site excavation mold of prehistoric Oreodon "Merycoiodon Gracilis" from the Brule Formation of South Dakota, Oligocene Era.
Extinct Artiodactylids (even-toed mammals), Oreodons are an ancient terrestrial herbivore with unusually pronounced canines known as Merycoidodon Cruminating teeth.") Belonging to the family Merycoidodontidae, they are called Oreodonts, more popularly known as Oreodons. Extant during the Oligocene to Early Miocene.
Merycoidodon had an average body length of about 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) and short limbs. The fore limbs had Five toes (although the first one was vestigial), while the hind limbs had four. They had a full set of teeth, with molars adapted for grinding tough vegetation and strong, very striking canines. Notably, the skulls have a pit in front of the eyes similar to modern deer, believed to contain a scent gland used for marking territory. Oreodons are thus assumed to have been highly territorial, roaming in large grazing herds.