This specimen is a partial Woolly Rhinoceros Jaw with embedded teeth. Recovered from Siberia, the estimated age is 20,000 years old.

The jaw section measures 19" in length and contains several teeth embedded within. As pictured, the fossil is mounted on a beautiful wooden stand. It can also be easily removed if you would like to display it separately.

An individual certificate of authenticity will also accompany the specimen.

"Accounts strongly suggest that fossil rhino horns were indeed known to, and used by, the native inhabitants of northeastern Siberia." ~ Professor Mikael Fortelius

The Woolly Rhinos of the Pleistocene were a sight to behold, with massive bodies covered in thick hair, humped shoulders to carry their heavy heads, and titanic horns which made them tower over the expansive steppe landscapes

Coelodonta antiquitatis, the scientific name of the woolly rhino, emerged in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene, where their long hair and heavy fat made them capable of surviving the permafrost climate. These animals were huge, comparable in size to the modern white rhino. They could reach up to 12 feet in length and six thousand pounds, making them a tank of a creature. Most impressive was their front horn, a massive keratin formation over 4 feet long.

Discovered on December 18, 1994, the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave is considered one of the most significant paleoart sites in the world. Radiocarbon studies suggest the drawings and fossilized remains discovered in the cave are roughly 31,000 years old.

Before the species was officially identified in the 1700s, people had found the horns and skulls of the woolly rhino for years. Without the context of the ice age and change in climate, they were thought to be the remains of long-forgotten mythical creatures. Some native groups in Siberia believed the horns to be claws of massive birds, while skulls found in Europe were thought to be the remains of dragons.

The first scientific analysis of the woolly rhino classified it as a close relative of modern rhinoceroses. While they are related, analysis of the woolly rhino’s tooth would reveal a distinction. The ancient species had natural internal cavities, unlike the modern rhinos. These distinctive cavities are still visible today in the specimen.

These teeth allowed the rhino to grind up plant matter. Although the horn may have been used for defensive or mating purposes, it’s also thought to have been used to push aside snow and dirt in search of roots and frozen grasses.