What is this- warning trigger

[speakout]

I have just returned from a walk in local woods- I saw something nestled in the hollow of a tree- I thought at first it was some empty wild bird eggs, but on closer inspection not-. It looks like remnants of an animal/human? Quite large, maybe 5-6 cm wide. We are rural, so a lot of deer, foxes, badgers etc., but seems larger that that.

My first thought was sheep, I've seen quite a few sheep skulls over the years. I hadn't thought of something taking the skull to the tree afterwards, that makes sense. It's from something that chews a lot, the teeth look pretty worn.

Teeth look like cow or horse to me.

Yes palate of a herbivore ( tho I'm not a vet or dentist!)

Herbivore teeth. Not from a horse.
Looks the wrong shape to be a deer, I wouldn’t expect theirs to be as rounded, but I’m only guessing from the handful of skulls I’ve seen and encounters with live deer. Sheep perhaps.

Sheep teeth.

So glad it isn't human. Curious to know what it is though- we have deer, horses,sheep and cows all in the immediate area.

Agree with pp’s that it looks like a sheep or maybe a deer.

Looks like an animal. I am no expert but was an animal obsessed when young, all the molars worn out suggest a ruminant, so probably sheep

Top jaw of an animal that eats grass and leaves. Not a carnivore, so maybe sheep

Jaw of a dead herbivore - no canines

I agree!

A pretty creepy but cool find OP!

Looks like there's too many molars to be human.

Deer skull

Oh wow, maybe a horse? Hopefully a vet will be along soon to tell you!

Deer or sheep. The gap between the molars and the incisors is quite clear when you look for it.

Definitely not human (I'm a qualified human osteologist). Looks like sheep to me.

Jaw of something that eats plants.

It’s the lower jaw of some kind of mammal, but it certainly isn’t human.

Please don’t make yourself look silly by ringing the police. Animals live and die and decompose in nature.

I meant upper, lol.

I thought sheep.

Definitely sheep - I used to make jewellery from sheep teeth so am very well acquainted with their jaws!

Really op should do a thorough poll of public opinion. Her dc can take it to school for show & tell. She can then count the frequency various species are mentioned in the aibu threads that follow. I doubt sheep or deer will make the top ten. Probably be a tie between ‘Aibu to think Shergar’s head isn’t appropriate’ and ‘aibu to think this child has parents that practice cannibalism’ Or perhaps ‘shaking and sobbing at the thought a rat can grow so big’

Thanks everyone- no I didn't call the police in the end- you wise lot pointed out too many molars!
There has been a spate of poaching in this area in the past few years, remains of butchered wild deer found by walkers.
Sorry to panic!

As they're all molars is it a sheep's lower jaw?

Upper, I mean!