SABER-TOOTH CAT SKULL IN MULTI-FOSSIL MATRIX
Megantereon sp.
Miocene
Central Asia
This ferocious cat was an ancestor of the famous Californian fossil, the Smilodon fatalis. Found across North America, Africa and Eurasia it used its remarkable canine sabers in a similar fashion to its relative, slashing the windpipe or jugular of its prey rather than risk breaking a tooth by sinking its full length into the victim's flesh. This first-class example exhibits superb three-dimensionality, the skull having been prepared entirely free from the matrix, with long tapering sabers measuring 5 3/4 inches around the curve. The remainder of the matrix is a mass of well-defined bones, with superb bone color and flecked patination throughout, and includes the skulls and various bones of two similarly-sized creatures of a different species, victims no doubt of the powerful feline hunter. A dynamic, unusual and finely-presented piece, it measures 20 inches wide and 16 inches high on a metal stand.
This fossil consists of an original matrix containing a complete saber tooth tiger skull, a complete upper saber tooth tiger skull (without sabers), an upper hyena (probably hyena sinensis) skull, and multple leg, rib, and vertabrae bones. This is a totally original piece. There is no compositing or restoration. No bones were removed or reposistioned during prepping. The complete megantereon skull is in excellant condition with no distortion. It measures 11" long. The sabers measure 4.5" long by 1.25" wide. The entire piece meaures 22" long x 12.5" tall x 6.5" wide. It is late miocene-early pleistocene from Gansu province. Overall, this is a very sculptural, one-of-a-kind fossil.
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