What on earth is this thing ?

[bearbait]

I came across these remains when hiking out in Yellowstone National Park.

At first I thought it was a now extinct quadrupedal pterodactyl.

 

[HillBill]

What was it?

 

[bb07]

I came across these remains when hiking out in Yellowstone National Park.

At first I thought it was a now extinct quadrupedal pterodactyl.

It looks contrived. The way it's laid out like an exhibit tells me it's someones idea of a prank. And it's certainly unlike any creature in this world

 

[Harvestman]

Nah, it's obviously an isopod

 

[mountainm]

Nah, it's obviously an isopod

I call amphipod.

 

[HillBill]

Definately built by someone from various skeletons.

It looks contrived. The way it's laid out like an exhibit tells me it's someones idea of a prank. And it's certainly unlike any creature in this world

 

[bearbait]

I should have said it was about 10 feet or so long to give scale.

I took the photo and then started looking in detail. It looked like it had fallen from the sky and gone splat. The remains of a dead animal are normally spread around by the scavengers so it would be unusual to see a complete skeleton like this. And yes, it had been fabricated by some mischievous hiker(s). You can see that some of the bones don't look in proportion to their position on the body. The bones are likely a mix of bison and cervid.

Nonetheless it was amusing to come across the remains of a species previously unknown to man whilst out hiking...perhaps a prototype for a Dr. Who character?