Zoology: Bones

The dugong belongs to the order Sirenia, which includes manatees. Sirenians belong to a group called subungulates, which includes elephants and hyraxes, two animals that by appearances and habitat would seem to have nothing in common. The original specimen was collected in Australia around 1870 and sent to the London Zoo. It was then acquired by the Charleston Museum in 1876 (the same year that Alexander Grahm Bell invented the telephone and introduced it at the Philadelphia Centennial). We are grateful to the Charleston Museum, which graciously lent us this remarkable specimen for casting. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).
14 ½" L x 8" W x 8 ½" H 37.2L x 20.5W x 21.3H (cm)