Ryan Dye with otter jaw discovery. Florida Museum photo by Dawn Dye.

Ryan Dye’s otter jaw discovery. Florida Museum photo by Dawn Dye.

This past Wednesday, April 4th, Montbrook volunteer, Ryan Dye, uncovered an otter jaw! We were able to pedestal around the jaw, create a plaster jacket, and bring it back to the lab that evening. It was nearly prepared the next day.

Check out those teeth!

Ryan Dye’s otter jaw during preparation at the Florida Museum Vertebrate Paleontology prep lab. Specimen prepared by Jason Bourque and photos by Jonathan Bloch.

Ryan Dye’s otter jaw during preparation at the Florida Museum Vertebrate Paleontology prep lab. Specimen prepared by Jason Bourque and photos by Jonathan Bloch.

Ryan Dye’s otter jaw during preparation at the Florida Museum Vertebrate Paleontology prep lab. Specimen prepared by Jason Bourque and photos by Jonathan Bloch.

Ryan Dye’s otter jaw during preparation at the Florida Museum Vertebrate Paleontology prep lab. Specimen prepared by Jason Bourque and photos by Jonathan Bloch.

It may be the larger extinct otter known from Montbrook: Enhydritherium terraenovae

This otter lived during the late Miocene to very early Pliocene epochs, about 6.5 to 4.5 million years ago.

It was capable of living in both freshwater and coastal marine habitats and is know from Florida and California,  suggesting it migrated westward from the Gulf of Mexico into the eastern Pacific through the Panamanian Seaway. This predicts that its fossils should also be recovered in late Miocene marine deposits in Panama.

Check it out: A nearly complete skeleton is on permanent public display at the Florida Museum. It was collected at the Moss Acres Racetrack Site in Marion County.