Archaeotherium Skull Replica

Description

Archaeotherium skull replica measures 20.0 x 13.0 x 11.0 inches. Archaeotherium mortoni skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

Specimens have been recovered from the White River Formation, John Day Formation, Brule Formation and Chadron Formation, as well as from the Trans-Pecos area of Texas.

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

Adult Archeotherium 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.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Family: †Entelodontida
• Genus: †Archaeotherium
• Species: A. mortoni
• Bionimal name: Archaeotherium mortoni
• Conservation status: Extinct