Hello everyone, I wanted to share a fascinating specimen and gather some insights from the community. Background: I acquired this cranial vault along with several long bones through a private transaction. The previous owner held the collection for over 50 years and reportedly had ties to a regional museum; however, direct outreach to the institution confirmed no record or claim of ownership. Upon acquisition, I noted key morphological features that clearly distinguish it from modern human cranial variation. Notably an exceptionally robust supraorbital ridge, a low-sloping frontal bone, and a robust occipital. Additionally, the specimen shows UV reactivity, fluorescing an orangish-red hue consistent with calcite mineralization. Current Research & Data: I sent the skull to Paul Sereno’s Fossil Lab at the University of Chicago (UChicago) for micro-CT scanning, and I will be conducting isotope testing in the coming months which will give a lot more insight. Due to skull damage, estimates place the cranial capacity at approximately 1,225 cc, and I am continuing to collect detailed measurements. Access the 3D Model: You can view and interact with the processed 3D CT scan model here: Sketchfab 3D Model - Mystery Skull I am happy to provide the raw CT scan data to researchers, anthropologists, or anyone with the expertise and interest to analyze it further.   submitted by   /u/XETOVS   to   r/Paleontology [link]   [comments]