Right dentary (jaw) of a Tylosaurus proriger.
This is the left side of the jaw.
I found this Tylosaurus proriger, a large marine reptile on June 8, 2014, my 77th birthday, nice present. It was found in North-Central Smith County, Kansas. The skull is four feet long. Most of the teeth are 1.75 inches long. This reptile would have been 28-30 feet long and weigh 2400-3000 pounds.
Polyacrodus illingsworthi Shark Tooth
I found this rare shark tooth south of Gaylord, Kansas. It has been collected in Texas (only two teeth). This tooth is the first found and documented in Kansas. During the Cretaceous Period it was more common in Europe.
Identification and picture provided by Mike Everhart, Derby, Kansas.
Ground Sloth Astragalus
I found this astragalus (ankle bone)of Harlan's Ground Sloth in a local sandpit on May 30, 2011. This is a rare bone for this locality, as only 6 other sloth remains have been found in Kansas.
Apsopelix anglicus Fish
This Cretaceous fish was collected from a Smith County rock pit. It's 16 inches long and is perfectly preserved.
Gomphotherium Partial Tusk
This tusk was collected from a large bone bed in northern Smith County, Kansas
Homotherium serum Lower Jaw
This is the lower jaw of a sabre-toothed cat (Homotherium serum). It was found in the river south of Hutchinson, Kansas while dredging to build a new bridge.
Columbian Mammoth Foot
This is the right front foot of a Columbian Mammoth. It was found by sandpit owner Jim Davis in his sandpit one mile west of Studley, Kansas. I removed it October 3, 2006. The ankle and lower leg bones (radius and ulna) are to the right. The foot is 13 inches wide and 19 inches long. The foot would normally have 5 toes, but only 4 are visible on this specimen. The unattached bone at the top is the patella (knee cap) from one of the hind legs.
Large Mammoth Molar
This mammoth tooth was pumped from a sandpit in Dawson County, Nebraska. It's 15 inches long and weighs 11.5 pounds.
Completed Gomphothere Mandible
I have finished preparing the Gomphothere jaw I found recently. This is a view from the top looking down on the bottom jaw. This elephant was not an adult when it died. The third molars have not erupted and are still below the gum line. This displays weighs about 100 pounds.
Lower Jaw of Gomphothere on Display.
This is a side view of the Gomphothere jaw. The length is 36 inches.
Cranial and Post Cranial Gomphothere Bones.
Gomphothere bones: partial humerus at left, weighs 33 pounds. Upper left hand corner is back of one skull, center is another skull with 1 tooth, surrounded by 4 other molars, at right are both side of the bottom jaw and far right, thoracic vertebra and a partial rib. Upper tusk on the floor measures 5.5 feet. One of the lower tusks is in front at the lower front left corner. Display is 2.5 x 5.5 feet.
Gomphothere Bones of the Pelvis Area.
Largest bone here is the 51 inch wide pelvis. Bones is front are 6 lumbar vertebra. The two soft-ball sized “holes” in each side of the pelvis is where the femur head (hip joint) fits into the pelvis.
Mastodon Lower Jaw
This is the lower right jaw of a Mastodon. It was found in the Canadian River in Haskell County, Oklahoma. It weighs twenty eight pounds and is twenty six inches long and eleven inches high.
Protosphyraena pernicosa fin
This is the right pectoral fin of the Cretaceous fish Protosphyraena pernicosa. The fin is 45 inches long. I removed this fin from a rock pit south of Smith Center, Kansas in July of 2002.
Columbian Mammoth Bones from the Levin Mammoth Site
The Levin Site was discovered April 15, 1998, and is located in northeastern Smith County, Kansas.
This photo shows the 2 humeri at the lower right and left. The ulna is just above the left humerus. The scapula is in three pieces and is located in the center of the display. Fifteen vertebra were removed and fourteen are shown at the upper right. Numerous ribs were found too, the largest being 39 inches long. The individual humerus weight is 40 pounds and is also 39 inches long. The ulna shown measures 27 inches.
I don't believe the skull is intact, as both zygomatic arches have been found separated from the skull. Both contain holes that should not be in the "arches". One zygomatic has one "puncture hole" and the other one has two holes. These appear to be "crushing type" holes, and are not normally found on these bones. The holes may be bite marks from some predator shortly after the time of death. This would account for the zygomatic bones being removed from the skull. Partial skull fragments have also been found, those are from the sinus area.
Testudo orthopygia, Giant Land Tortoise
This is the shell of a large land Tortoise called Testudo orthopygia. The shell is 28 inches long, 18 inches wide and 14 inches tall. It lived during the Miocene Period, and was collected in northern Phillips County, Kansas on December 14, 1991.
Platygonus compressus Jaws (Flat Headed Peccary)
Here are seven giant pig jaws I found ten miles north of Athol, Kansas. This display show two adults (the largest in the center), and five probable juveniles.
Around the outside are "floaters" mostly ribs, which are fragments of bones that are not connected with the larger bones in the display. Also shown at upper right is part of the proximal end of the front leg. At lower right the inside of the posterior brain case. The label marks the location of the brain. The largest jaw shown is ten inches long and the canines are four inches in length.
The three smaller jaws were found April 12, 1995. After six years of further erosion, two other jaws surfaced on August 6, 2001. The larger jaws were collected on August 15, 2001.
This may have been a family of pigs. It appears that two adults and five juveniles all died in close proximity to each other. Their cause of death is uncertain, but there is a deposit of Reamsville volcanic ash nearby, but that as the cause of death is pure speculation. More likely the bones were transported by water to their present location.
The two large jaws in the center were jacketed at the site, brought to the preparation lab and prepared in their position found, exactly as they died.
Gillicus arcuatus
This Cretaceous fish was found four miles south of Smith Center, Kansas. It's complete except for part of the right pectoral fin and half of the caudal fin. The fish is fifty one inches long.
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SOME OF MY OTHER WEB SITES
Levin Mammoth Site
Campbell, Nebraska Mammoth Site
Respess Mammoth Site
Wanner Gomphothere Site
Platygonus Site
Shockley Fish Site
Smith Center, Kansas Daily Weather
Smith Center Kansas Archived Weather
