1.14 Palaeotherium sp.
Although we do not look at mammals in detail in this course, we have included a couple of specimens here because we are looking at the diversity of vertebrates. This is the skull of an equid (horse) from the middle Miocene of North America.
Above: Cast of the skull of Palaeotherium seen from the right.
Try to identify the main openings in the skull, such as the eye and external nostril. Note the cusps on the teeth and the arrangement of the teeth in the jaws. Compare these teeth with those in a crocodile. Mammals typically have complex teeth for grinding/slicing their food.
Above: Close-up of the teeth of Palaeotherium seen from the right.
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