Bite marks on jawbone - Ask Extension
I found this jawbone out in a stretch of forest bordered on one side by what seemed to be an agricultural property. Do you know what kind of animal th...
Knowledgebase
Bite marks on jawbone #821645
Asked March 04, 2023, 12:59 PM EST
I found this jawbone out in a stretch of forest bordered on one side by what seemed to be an agricultural property. Do you know what kind of animal these bite marks are likely from? Or what kind of animal the jaw bone itself came from?
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello and thank you for contacting OSU Extension Service!
The jawbone that you found is of a Black-tailed deer, which is the the most common deer species in Western Oregon. You can identify deer mandibles (lower jaws) by the molars that are broad and jagged, for chewing vegetation, and the lack of teeth on the front end of the jaw (where our front lower teeth are located - these teeth are called incisors). Deer are members of a Family called Cervidae (commonly called Cervids) along with Elk, Moose, and Caribou, all of which lack incisors on the lower jaw.
The chew marks on the jaw bone are from a rodent, likely either a mouse or vole (which is another small, mouselike rodent). Rodents chew on bones to get vital minerals. This is a significant reason why we don't find bones from wild animals laying around all over - they are consumed by rodents and other animals.
I hope this response has helped.
Thank you again for contacting OSU Extension Service.
The jawbone that you found is of a Black-tailed deer, which is the the most common deer species in Western Oregon. You can identify deer mandibles (lower jaws) by the molars that are broad and jagged, for chewing vegetation, and the lack of teeth on the front end of the jaw (where our front lower teeth are located - these teeth are called incisors). Deer are members of a Family called Cervidae (commonly called Cervids) along with Elk, Moose, and Caribou, all of which lack incisors on the lower jaw.
The chew marks on the jaw bone are from a rodent, likely either a mouse or vole (which is another small, mouselike rodent). Rodents chew on bones to get vital minerals. This is a significant reason why we don't find bones from wild animals laying around all over - they are consumed by rodents and other animals.
I hope this response has helped.
Thank you again for contacting OSU Extension Service.
