Skull mystery on beach

Question

The skull was found on a beach on the Sechelt inlet on Canada's pacific coast. A marine environment.

What species is this skull from?

It is a species identification question. I is obvious enough to not a fully phrased question. — Remi.b, Mar 16 '16 at 04:49
Can you provide a side view picture? It could be a couple things, but seeing the width of the zygomatic arches (~eye sockets) would be helpful. — Forest, Mar 16 '16 at 19:57
The z arches are 13 cm wide. Just trying to figure out how to load another picture. — Rusty biologist, Mar 16 '16 at 20:47

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 12 '17 at 02:46

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We found a very similar skull on a beach near Richardson Bay, Lasqueti BC. Decided it was a seal skull (locals agreed) See harbor seal skull: http://www.skullsunlimited.com/record_species.php?id=4726 enter image description here

answered Aug 12 '17 at 02:46

Mark

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SableGear · Answer 2 · 2016-03-16T20:01:07.203

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I know guessing is frowned upon but given the small size of the skull and the relatively small inlet you've cited as a location, my best guess is it's the back half of a dolphin's skull. Probably Pacific White-Sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)

Compare:

Sorry for the watermark. From Skulls Unlimited

^ The cheek-bones look pretty similar, but the snout and the pit on the side that superficially resembles an eye orbit have been broken off or caved in on your sample.

From cetacea.ca

^ I can't find pictures of the underside of a skull without the mandible, but the hole in the bottom of yours might match the one on the very far right here, though I'm not sure about the bulges on the underside.

I can't be sure if its a complete match but my best proposal is that it's a juvenile dolphin skull.

edited Mar 16 '16 at 20:01

answered Mar 16 '16 at 19:36

SableGear

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@SabelGear can you add some links for those pictures? – Vance L Albaugh Mar 16 '16 at 19:55
Added links to original pages. Sorry, didn't realize Stack hosted through imgur. – SableGear Mar 16 '16 at 20:02
the zygomatic is all wrong for a cetacean, far to wide and robust, and the orbits are in completely different place, even the auditory bulla are in the wrong place. – John Aug 12 '17 at 03:49

John · Answer 3 · 2017-08-12T03:51:49.083

I agree with Mark it is a seal, specifically the rear half of the skull.

That low flat profile of the skull combines with with a wide robust zygomatic is indicative of seals. The triangular and yet flat sagittal crest is also a dead giveaway. The orbits are high, large, poorly defined, and deeply recessed with only a narrow band between them that is indicative of seals. Check out a these seal skulls for comparison.

In the last one you can even see how you end up with only the rear portion as you do, as the rest is only weakly attached and the zygomatics are weakly fused at the center and tends to separate as well. I can't tell you the species but you definitely have a seal.

user5434678 · Answer 4 · 2016-03-16T06:31:31.183

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"Dwarf Sperm Whale" Scientific name: Kogia sima

edited Mar 16 '16 at 06:31

answered Mar 16 '16 at 06:22

user5434678

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Please provide a citation or 2 and additional information. Right now this looks like a guess, not an answer. – theforestecologist Mar 16 '16 at 13:00
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Skull is not 'peaked' as seems typical of cetaceans. Skull has no eye socket 'dents' . Assumed eye sockets are forward facing and close together. – Rusty biologist Mar 16 '16 at 20:53

Skull mystery on beach

4 Answers4