Archaeotherium Skull Replica

$530.00

Archaeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni head was unusually large, and the high spines on the vertebrae above the shoulders supported strong neck muscles and tendons to handle the weight of the head.

Description

Archaeotherium Skull Replica measures 20x13x11 inches. Archaeotherium Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in the USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Archaeotherium mortoni is the species name. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

Archaeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni probably somewhat resembled a cow-sized peccary with a longer face, humped shoulders, wide cheekbones, and bosses on the face similar to male warthogs, but without a pig-like nasal disk.

Archaeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni lived in forested and riverbank environments before the evolution of grasslands.

Like all entelodonts, the genus had typical artiodactyl legs but lacked specializations for fast running; though it supported its weight on cloven hooves, the foot bones remained unfused, and the toes could spread. This structure, unique to entelodonts, may have helped the living animal move on soft ground.

Archaeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni head was unusually large, and the high spines on the vertebrae above the shoulders supported strong neck muscles and tendons to handle the weight of the head.

Archaeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni brain was tiny, but had relatively large olfactory lobes, suggesting that the animal had a keen sense of smell.

Adult Archeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni had huge temporalis muscles, but they were normal-sized in juveniles and only developed as the animal matured. This suggests the expanded cheekbones and extreme jaw strength of the genus may have been involved in adult social behavior more than eating.

It is also possible that younger Archeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni had softer diets, or Archaeotherium had significant parental care.

The jaws of Archeotherium or Megachoerus had an unusually wide gape. Adult entelodonts may have had aggressive jaw-gaping displays and biting fights like living hippos. The gape may also have been used to grab and position large, hard food objects like bones or nuts between the jaws to be cracked by the rear teeth, as in pigs and peccaries.

Like all Archeotherium, the teeth and jaws resemble no living animal, though there are some similarities to peccaries, pigs, bears, predatory carnivores, rhinos, and bone-crushing scavengers.

There is a full dentition. Archeotherium or Archaeotherium mortoni canines, premolars, and molars were all large and heavily enameled, and show heavy wear.

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Additional information

Weight 29 lbs
Dimensions 20 × 13 × 11 in
Archaeotherium Facts:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: †Entelodontidae
Scientific Name: Megachoerus Troxel
Genus: †Archaeotherium