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Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists at the DNR’s Customer Service Center in Marquette have determined bones found by a boy near Picnic Rocks in Marquette Thursday were those of a horse.
The DNR was called to Shiras Park Thursday afternoon to pick up what remained of a skeleton unearthed along the Lake Superior shoreline.
Initial reports were that the bones were from a moose. The bones had been bagged by police before the DNR arrived.
Kevin Swanson, a DNR wildlife biologist, took the bones — which included a skull, ribs, jaw and vertebrae — to the Marquette office where they were examined today.
DNR wildlife biologist Brian Roell examined the bones and made the identification.
“After examining the remains we have determined that the bones are from a horse rather than a moose,” Roell said. “There are a few key indicators which allowed us to make this determination.”
Roell said members of the cervidae family — which includes deer, elk and moose — do not have upper incisors. The skull found on the beach had upper incisors.
“Upon examining the molars, we found that the teeth from the remains on the beach had fused cusps which form elongated ridges, which form a broad flat grinding surface called lophodont molars,” Roell said. “Moose and other members of the cervidae family have similar teeth, but the ridges are formed by elongation of single cusps which form crescent-shaped edges called selenodont molars.”
Roell said the overall shape of the skull and jaw found at the beach was far more heavily boned/built compared to a moose skull, Roell said.
The origin and age of the bones is unknown.
“It looked to me like was buried there long ago and unearthed by recent high water levels,” Swanson said.
Biologists will dispose of the bones. The bones will not be sent to a laboratory to try to determine the cause of the animal’s death.
