Natural History - Woolly Rhinoceros Jaw

DEVENSIAN PERIOD, CIRCA 110,000-12,000 YEARS B.P.

20 1/2 in. (3 kg, 52 cm).

A well-preserved lower jaw section from Coelodonta antiquitatis with four molars.

Provenance

From the Northamptonshire, UK, collection of J. Shaul.
Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.

Footnotes

The form of the woolly rhino’s skull and teeth had evolved to support its grazing lifestyle with its head dipped downwards towards the ground, even in its relaxed attitude. The skull is unusual in having both an extensively ossified nasal septum, probably evolved as a result of the heavy pressure on the horn and face when grazing, and a down-turned anterior region on the premaxilla that contacts the edge of the upper jaw. The shoulders were raised with a powerful hump, used to support the animal's massive front horn and also used for storing fat.

CONDITION

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LOT 2324