1.3" Coryphodon Fossil Tooth Willwood Formation Big Horn County Wyoming Stand
Location: Willwood Formation, Big Horn County, Wyoming
Weight: 0.4 Ounces
Dimensions: 1.3 Inches Long, 1 Inch Wide, 0.6 Inches Thick
Comes with a Stand and Mineral Tack.
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
Coryphodon is a fascinating extinct mammal that lived during the late Paleocene and early Eocene epochs across North America and Eurasia. The designation “sp.” refers to the genus as a whole, rather than a specific species.
This large, sturdy herbivore is often compared to a hippopotamus in build and lifestyle, though it is not closely related to modern hippos. Adults could reach up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length and weigh over 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). Its large skull housed a relatively small braincase, typical of early large mammals.
The teeth of Coryphodon reveal its diet: bunodont molars with rounded cusps and prominent canines suggest it was primarily a browser, feeding on soft vegetation such as leaves and aquatic plants. Fossil evidence also indicates that Coryphodon was semi-aquatic, thriving in swampy and marshy environments. Its strong limb bones and broad feet allowed it to navigate soft ground, while its large body size likely helped regulate heat in water-based habitats.
Coryphodon is especially important for understanding the evolution of mammals after the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, marking the rise of large herbivores in the early Cenozoic. Its widespread fossils across North America and Eurasia also provide key insights into the faunal exchanges that occurred during this dynamic period in Earth's history.
