Please help me identify this skull.

[trekkiedane]

A friend of mine has had this skull on display for some time:

(Zippo for size)​

When I asked what it is, all my friend could say was: "probably some monkey"...

Anyone on this board know any better?

 

[Kelso]

It's not mine.

 

[Finn]

How big is it?

 

[Roshi]

Probably some monkey...

 

[trekkiedane]

How big is it?

It can lie on a flat hand (See the Zippo-lighter for size comparison )

 

[Roger Wilco]

Could be a bonobo skull. I'm pretty sure it's a hominidae skull, but not gorilla, orang utan or chimpanzee. http://www.skullsunlimited.com/record_family.php?id=36

eta: ah, I missed the size thing, so it's probably something different I guess if it's so small.

 

[sojourner]

We're gonna need some clay, a cool hi-tech looking lab, and the right montage music.

 

[trekkiedane]

We're gonna need some clay, a cool hi-tech looking lab, and the right montage music.

Or an artist with a big holographic display and her own home-made software...




I don't know if you can tell; I'm watching a lot of Bones at the moment

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Could be a bonobo skull.

I think you're right: it seems to be the right sort of shape to be a species of the Pan genus (either bonobo or common chimp).

td, where did your friend obtain the skull remnant?

 

[Myasishchev]

George "Goober" Lindsey.

 

[trekkiedane]

[ZR]^She's forgotten!

She's the type that 'collects' all kind of natural stuff; lizard tails, cat skeletons, exuviae of all kinds... Where she got that monkey from noone knows.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Could be a bonobo skull.

I think you're right: it seems to be the right sort of shape to be a species of the Pan genus (either bonobo or common chimp).

td, where did your friend obtain the skull remnant?

I disagree. Have a look at the first photo again. The eyes are much too big and too close together. Also, Bonobos and other Chimpanzees have a shorter upper jaw (as have Gorillas and Orangs). Plus all these species are heavily protected under the Washington treaty and it'd be impossible to get an origial scull (unless that friend is extremely rich).

I agree that it's some primate (sensu latu), but not a member of the Hominoidea.
Judging by the eye size, this would presumably be the skull of some species that's active at dawn or possibly even in the night.

My guess would be something in the general line of a Baboon or related species

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I'm not so sure. Although the upper-lip and zygomatic bones look relatively primitive compared to that of a human, and the nasal aspect of the orbit bones more sharply defined, the maxillae don't seem as pronounced as that of a baboon's, plus the calvarium appears decently sized suggesting that it housed a relatively developed brain. Admittedly, though, all we've got to work with are the camera angles in the photos.

I'll be interested to know what it does turn out to be.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

You don't think this could be a lemur, do you?

 

[trekkiedane]

^It surely could -it could be anything from where I'm sitting!

 

[Zulu Romeo]

You don't think this could be a lemur, do you?

A quick Google Images search suggests not: compared to the skull presented here, the lemur skull's nasal bones are more elongated and defined along the bridge, with a broader inter-orbital nasal structure and smaller nasal orifice; plus its main calvarium (brain box) bones appear smaller relative to the rest of the facial bones.


td, does your friend still have this skull's corresponding lower jaw bone?

 

[trekkiedane]

No, ZR, I'm afraid not, it's the only part of the animal we've got.

 

[propita]

It's not mine.

Of course it’s not yours.

It’s mine. I woke up this morning and my skull was not in my head.

Thanks for finding it!

 

[M'Sharak]

You don't think this could be a lemur, do you?

A quick Google Images search suggests not: compared to the skull presented here, the lemur skull's nasal bones are more elongated and defined along the bridge, with a broader inter-orbital nasal structure and smaller nasal orifice; plus its main calvarium (brain box) bones appear smaller relative to the rest of the facial bones.

In the few minutes' time I've had to dig on this, it looks to me like this might have belonged to a Barbary macaque (Gibraltar ape,) a Japanese macaque (snow monkey,) a rhesus macaque or something of similar size - larger than tree monkeys but smaller than chimpanzees or baboons. The general shape is right, but there are a lot of variations I haven't had time to check yet.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Japanese macaque for sure.