VP 236939 occlusal
An occlusal view (showing the biting/grinding surface of the teeth) of UF 236939, a partial dentary of Aguascalientia panamaensis.

This Fossil Friday I would like to introduce you to a floridatraguline camel from the early Miocene Las Cascadas Formation of the Panama Canal Area, Aguascalientia panamaensis. An interesting fact about this fossil is that both the first premolar and first canine are caniniform, a feature shared among the camels of the genus Aguascalientia. Floridatraguline camels (subfamily Floridatragulinae) are an extinct subfamily of llama-like camels characterized by elongated snouts and relatively primitive dentitions. In the early Miocene their distribution in the rest of North America was restricted to subtropical areas such as Florida, Mexico, and Texas.

To find out more about this specimen and other floridatraguline camels, read the publication describing them here.