Steppe Buffalo Skull

[AJCole]

How do I identify, preserve, and display this big guy? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AJCole]

37inches is the point to point 

[Fossildude19]

Need to know where it was found to help us ID this item.

Nebraska is a big place.

County level should be good enough for a location.

 

@Ptychodus04  @hadrosauridae

[hadrosauridae]

Horn shape looks like Bison Antiquus but I'm not an expert and just going off what I have seen in museum displays.  There are probably a lot of different measurements to confirm a species.  Preservation depends a lot on how solid it is.  Can it be dried without cracking and flaking?  If so, I would recommend a very long and slow drying process, finalized by soaking it in a solution of Butvar B76 or Paraloid B72 to solidify it.  

 

If it can't be dried, there are wet consolidants such as rhoplex, but I havent used it myself.

[AJCole]

Northeast Nebraska off the Elkhorn River

[Ptychodus04]

11 hours ago, hadrosauridae said:

Horn shape looks like Bison Antiquus

This would be my guess as well.

 

I would not have submerged the skull in water to clean it. Soaking sub-fossil bone can have disastrous results due to its hydrophilic nature and propensity towards differential drying damage. Make sure it does not dry fast or the bones will break. After it is completely dry (let sit for several months to ensure it is completely dry), submerge the specimen in a 2% solution of Paraloid B72 dissolved in acetone or ethanol until it stops bubbling with escaped air. Remove from the solution and allow to dry. Cradling on the edge of a cardboard flat works well. 

[AJCole]

It was submerged when it was found. Thought it was best to keep it as close to the elements it was found. From my understanding. Also soaking to get the mud out of the crevices. Then dry and polyurethane it….any tips can help

[TRexEliot]

26 minutes ago, AJCole said:

It was submerged when it was found. Thought it was best to keep it as close to the elements it was found. From my understanding. Also soaking to get the mud out of the crevices. Then dry and polyurethane it….any tips can help

Do NOT use polyurethane! Other users have already mentioned a few appropriate fossil consolidants like paraloid b72. These are archival-safe, completely reversible, and will not degrade with age, damaging the fossil.

[Jaybot]

I agree, do not use polyurethane.  I'd follow Kris's advice, I have followed the same steps he describes in the past with good results, although Texas is humid, so it doesn't take as long for my stuff to dry here.  It is, however, crucial that it is fully dry before the application of the consolidant! 

 

Awesome find by the way!  I have yet to find my first Bison skull (a fossil one of course).