Description
Merycoidodon culberstoni and Undescribed Lizard
Middle Oligocene
White River Formation
Converse County, Wyoming, USA
Big 30 inch block with excellent partial oreodont skeleton and 5.5 inch complete lizard that is undescribed and thus new to science
An oreodont is an extinct mammal that lived in North America during the Eocene and Oligocene epochs, from approximately 55 to 33.9 million years ago. They were herbivorous artiodactyls, which means they had an even number of toes and were related to modern-day pigs, hippos, and camels. Oreodonts were relatively small, ranging from the size of a small dog to that of a sheep. They had distinctive skull features, including a pair of large, blunt, and ever-growing teeth, which they likely used for grinding tough vegetation. Oreodont fossils have been found in various locations across North America and have provided valuable insights into the continent’s ancient ecosystems.
