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MUSEUM GRADE NEARLY COMPLETE LARGE EUROPEAN ICE AGE STEPPE WISENT BISON SKULL WITH COMPLETE EYE ORBITS AND PARTIAL NASAL Rhine River, Germany LATE PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 250,000 - 30,000 years ago This amazingly well-preserved and large fossil skull is of the massive EUROPEAN STEPPE BISON of the Ice Age, aka Bison priscus. This classic Pleistocene beast is also known as the STEPPE WISENT. It is important to emphasize that it is of EUROPEAN Ice Age origin and NOT one of the many American bison skulls that often turn up on the market. Furthermore, this is a TRUE FOSSIL from the days of Europe's last Ice Age when Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon Man hunted these beasts and memorialized their hunts and reverence for these creatures in their famous cave paintings. It is also important to note that this is a REAL FOSSIL found deep in the Pleistocene Period gravel deposits of the Rhine River in Germany. Many of the American bison skulls being sold as 'fossil' are NOT true fossils and most often are either artificially-dyed modern skulls being pawned off as fossils to naive buyers, or Holocene skulls that are antique in origin but not from the Pleistocene Period. This is one of the more complete Ice Age Steppe Bison skulls from Europe we have seen for sale. More common are skull caps that only include the horns and top of the cranium but this specimen includes BOTH COMPLETE EYE ORBITS which are unbroken and in superb preservation. A portion of the nasal is also present below these eye orbits. The nasal and palate is missing but if one wanted to fully restore this skull, finding the missing pieces would not be hard. It is impressive as it is and has NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION so we feel it is best exhibited in the condition that it is in now. We acquired this skull from a recent private museum deaccession but it was found quite some time ago when the gravel deposits in the Rhine produced better quality and more complete specimens by the use of technologically simpler and less destructive machinery. River gravel deposits are where most European Ice Age fossils reside. Gravel quarries and river dredges in Europe today use more efficient yet, more destructive machinery than they did in the past when better and more complete fossil specimens were found. The equipment used today destroys most of the new discoveries therefore, locating a high quality fossil Ice Age skull usually requires finding one from an old collection as this beautiful example came. Bone preservation and detail is of the finest possible condition on this skull. The surface is dense and smooth, not eroded or eaten up as many river skulls are. The light and highly aesthetic color is a result of this well-preserved example being buried deep in a protective layer of gravel rather than many fossils that are subject to exposure to the dark-stained water. This burial (until recovered in the dredge) is its reason for its remarkably well-preserved condition, as well. This is an extremely impressive skull from one of the key beasts to human survival in Europe's final Ice Age. 100% genuine and as found. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and duly impressive to demonstrate the robust size of these revered Ice Age giants. The magnificent European Steppe Wisent, scientifically known as Bison priscus, were both revered and hunted by Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon humans. Their meat, hide, bone and horn would have been valuable resources to humans in order to survive the harsh environment of the Ice Age. Cave paintings have been discovered depicting stylized wisents and hunting parties of these animals by prehistoric Man. This beast thrived on the steppes throughout Europe, Central Asia, Beringia and North America during the final Ice Age. The presence of incredibly long spines on the upper thoracic vertebra have been speculated over in science. First, bison have very large heads relative to their body size. The thoracic spines serve as anchors for the muscles that are needed to support the weight of the head. The larger the head, the larger the muscle mass needed for support. Second, larger dorsal spines and longer scapula give the bison a long stride for its relatively short legs. This allows the bison to walk over long distances with great efficiency of movement. In large grazing animals, energy conservation and efficiency are a definite advantage to survival. SUPERB AND NEARLY COMPLETE RARE EUROPEAN ICE AGE STEPPE BISON SKULL - RARE INTACT EYE ORBITS AND PART OF NOSE 34" across SOLD WIS001 Actual Item - One Only |
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3295 |
