Finally, here’s the snout of an entelodont (Archaeotherium). Entelodonts are sometimes called “hell pigs” for their immense, buffalo-like proportions and wide jaws full of sharp teeth. But these were actually close relatives of early hippos and whales.

Ok last marine mammal I swear: Wimahl chinookensis, a relative of dolphins dating back about 18 million years. The fossil was found along the banks of the Washington side of the mouth of the great Columbia River.

More marine mammals. Here’s Allodesmus, an extinct sea lion-like pinniped that was really athletic, nearly half a ton in life, and honestly a little horrifying? These guys lived along North Pacific coastlines roughly 10 to 15 million years ago.

Another fossil marine mammal unearthed in Clallam County: Sitsqwayk cornishorum, an early baleen whale.

This incredible beast hails from the Twin River Quarry (Pysht Formation) even closer to home for me. Clallam County and the Olympic Peninsula has been great for paleo marine mammal finds.

This one’s fun for me: Kolponomos clallamensis, the “otter bear”. It was an incredibly strange marine mammal from the coastlines of the Pacific Northwest during the Miocene. Neither otter or bear, Kolponomos’ appears to be a stem-pinniped, an odd, lost branch at the base of the seal et al lineage.

This is Axestemys, a softshell turtle from around the same warm time period. Some species could reach sizes quite a bit larger than modern softshells. Check out the shape of the carapace with all that bone reduction. Similar to modern softshells, which have shuriken-like carapaces.

Here’s the cranium of a Hyaenodon from around the same time period in North America. These animals were related to modern carnivores, but distinct. I’m always struck by how rugged their skulls looked; low slung and thick, with proportionally small braincases.

Here’s Hoplophoneus primaevus, which lived in North American forests over 30 million years ago. While about the size and shape of a bobcat or a small cougar (+saber teeth), it was not actually a cat. Hoplophoneus was part of a related family of now-extinct carnivores, the Nimravidae.

Visited the Burke Museum in Seattle last weekend, so here’s a short thread on some of the paleo stuff I thought was interesting:

Post a picture you took (no description) to bring some zen to the timeline

I’m located in a rural, drippy corner of Washington State, and spend a lot of time hiking in my region’s exquisite National Parks and Forests. I also dabble in nature photography, so you’ll be seeing that from time to time!

Monet, but make it autumn in the quietest rainforest in the U.S.

Hoh Rainforest, October 22, 2023

Me, groundlessly nervous, responding to the server that just asked “is Pepsi ok?”:

This is Arya.

She has maple syrup eyes and is, of course, a very good girl.