Fossil Turtle. Stylemys nebrascensis. Oligocene, Brule Formation. White River Badlands. Pennington County, Sou...

Description

Fossil Turtle
Stylemys nebrascensis
Oligocene, Brule Formation
White River Badlands
Pennington County, South Dakota, USA

Fossils from the Badlands are not uncommon, and Oligocene specimens from the harsh region are quite popular among collectors, but superb examples are few and far between. This exceptional Stylemys type ("pillar turtle") was collected in the early 1970s and came out of the collection of the Larson Family from Hill City, South Dakota - well known throughout the worlds of fossil hunting and collecting as prominent figures in commercial paleontology. Unlike most fossils from the Badlands which are dull and some offshoot of white, this excellent ancient turtle has been preserved in a rust red coloration throughout the top (carapace) and bottom (plastron) components of the shell. The virtually complete specimen is relatively small, but its that very fact which makes it so collectible as smaller examples are actually less common and more sought after in the fossil record of that vaunted locality's Oligocene rock layers. A minimal amount of restoration was required to get this wonderful fossil turtle in ideal condition for display. This piece has a very rustic look and feel as each plate of the interlocking "armor" plating is, essentially, intact. This is what a fossil should look like.
Overall Measurements: 5.71 x 4.33 x 2.53 inches (14.50 x 11.00 x 6.43 cm)
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[Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]



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