Pygmy Gomphothere Skull (VCU_3D_3796)

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This fragment of a gomphothere skull from Esmeralda County, Nevada, was 3-D scanned on August 6, 2018 at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum with a Go!Scan 50. According to Hardy and Bonde (2015)

The recovered specimen represents the maxillae, portions of the premaxillae, as well as the palatine, all in articulation. After removal of sediment with an air scribe, anterior and posterior sinus cavities were revealed. Two molars are present, and a portion of both tusks have been preserved within their cranial sockets. We attribute this specimen to Gomphotherium minor based upon the combination of small potential skull size with the extremely worn occlusal surface of the preserved molars of the individual.

Reference cited: Hardy, Fabian & Bonde, Joshua. (2015). Stomping Around the Sump: Miocene Pygmy Gomphothere from Esmeralda County, Nevada.