Expert: John J. Shea - 2/23/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello, my name is Jenus. I have a question that I hope you can answer. Attached is a photo of a skeleton that was sent to me by a friend of mine in hopes that I would be able to tell him what it is. After researching, the closest thing I could find online is a moa skeleton. I'm not asking you to put a commercial value on it, I'm just curious and would like to know exactly what it is. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.   Thank you.

ANSWER: Dear Jenus
(I answered this question about a week ago, but Allexperts tells me it did not receive the message.)
Definitely not a moa, and definitely not a bird.
It is a seal skeleton on which the front limbs are missing.  I cannot see what the rear limbs look like because of the way the photo is cropped.
Sincerely
John Shea



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Mr. Shea. Thank you for your insight on my photo. I just wanted to let you know that the skeleton was found on the Arizona/Utah border near Kanab. Are you 100% sure it is a seal? Thanks.

Answer
Hi Jenus
This shows the importance of context in archaeology and the perils of making assumptions.
 On the basis of the first question about it being a moa, I assumed the picture was from New Zealand (where moas lived) and in that case a partial seal skeleton was a possibility, because seals are common there too.
Now that you tell me it is from near Kanab, Utah, that opens up a whole different range of possibilities in terms of terrestrial mammals.  Making my 'best guess' from the photo, I would now guess it to be a deer, a sheep, or a goat, possibly a dog.  A good clear picture of the skull would clear things up instantly.  It is just too blurry in the photo attached to the original question.
Bear in mind that there is a big animal rescue operation out there in Kanab (called "Best Friends" I think), and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that this is part of some exotic animal that died there.
Cheers,
John Shea