Description: Coming from the White River Formation deposits of South Dakota, this is a well-preserved example of the first fossil tortoise described from North America known as Stylemys nebrascensis. It is found in the Middle Oligocene White River deposits of Nebraska and South Dakota, as well as the Late Eocene and Early Oligocene deposits of Wyoming. This one is quite 3-D in aspect, not crushed as many that are seen. It is thought that Stylemys was a burrowing tortoise much like the modern-day Gopher Tortoise, so that preservation was facilitated when the tortoise died within the burrow. This one is a male as seen from the deeply concave plastron (lower shell) which would enable it to mount the female during mating. There are only small portions of the carapace and plastron that have been repaired/restored (<3%), making for a fine display specimen.