Bison antiquus Fossil Skull #00574

This is the fossil skull of an ancient bison!

The American bison as we know it is the latest in a long line of large bovid species that first migrated into North America during the late Middle Pleistocene. Bison antiquus, which went extinct at the end of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago, was the species that eventually gave rise to the modern American bison. The ancient bison was about 25% larger overall than the extant species, with longer legs and horns that could span up to a meter across! For comparison, most modern bison have horn (core) spreads that measure 25 inches or less, and certainly less than 30 inches even in the largest mature bulls.
This is an excellent example of the species from Iowa with a 30-inch horn core spread and a beautiful river-stained patina. It has some losses but is largely complete – most examples of this species preserve only the skull cap and horns. There is some flaking on the frontal bone, but it is otherwise excellent and in solid, stable condition. It does not have any restoration.
The vast majority of “fossil” bison skulls on the market are actually subfossil (less than 10,000 years old) examples of the modern Bison bison species. A true ancient bison is a rare find! Please review all pictures and description for condition.
A fossil, this specimen is not from an ESA-listed species and is legal to sell and possess. US sales only, sorry! We are not comfortable shipping such a large and heavy item internationally.
The left incisive bone and maxilla will be packed detached and separate from the skull for ease in shipping. They can be easily reattached with super glue.

SOLD!