This week I have a nice skull for you to have a go at identifying:
This specimen is around 52cm long and it had an incorrect label attached, so it needed to be identified, to work out what its correct label should be. What do you think?
As always, you can leave your thoughts, questions and suggestions in the comments box below. I hope you enjoy the challenge!


Starting with the obvious it is an odontocete. Too big to be a porpoise, too short-snouted to be a Flipper conspecific, I will guess it is a species whose snout might suggest it likes ice-cream.
Mmm, ice-cream!
Is it from our fair shores across the pond and across the continent?
This particular one is from Ireland!
It’s not as asymmetrical as I expe4ct Odontocete skulls to be.
The majority of the asymmetry is in the degree of inflation of the right hand side of the premaxilla below the blowhole, which doesn’t show up well in the images.
Looking again, there is one obvious asymmetry visible in the photo: the two internal nares are different in shape, one being more covered by— whichever bone it is in the telescoped odontocete skull that reaches the front edge of the naris.
Tursiops
This skull seems tro big to be Tursiops…?
It’s about the same length as T. truncatus skull, but it’s not Tursiops
This is not an Uncle or and Aunt. Not a nephew or cousin. This is the granddaddy of all…since he is the only one.
Right shape to be Gramps but I think the tooth sockets are too small and numerous for such an old man
Does its snout prefer vanilla?
I think so.
I think you think right.
OK – I do think I was Lageing behind you on the ice cream.
Nice.
Following up on various comment and looking at picture on the internet… Melonheaded?
It doesn’t quite have the cheekbones…