UW6856 - Archaeotherium mortoni, Skull

Description

* Period/Epoch: Cenozoic / Oligocene * Rock Formation: Brule Fm. * State, County: Unknown Taxonomy: Mammalia>Artiodactyla>Entelodontidae>Archaeotherium mortoni Archaeotherium mortoni was a species of carnivorous single-hoofed ungulate from the late Eocene to late Oligocene of North America and Eurasia. While they physically resemble pigs, Archaeotherium mortoni is not within the ursine family, and its specific phylogenetic affinities are unclear currently. At the size of a modern cow, Archaeotherium mortoni and its kin are referred to as “terminator pigs” in popular culture. This specimen is a complete skull, which in life is approximately two feet long and is on display at the University of Wyoming Geological Museum. Scanned with the David SLS-2