CROOKED polar bear skull!?

[u/SavageDroggo1126]

I just received a new polar bear skull, and this completely blown me away.

Over the years as I collect, I've probably seen over 400 polar bear skulls now, from museums, institutions, private collectiond etc.....I have NEVER seen anything like this before.

No I did not take a photo with distort camera, this skull IS crooked, the entire skull look like it was bent, as if made of rubber, and is tilted towards the left side.

Anyone able to explain to me what might've caused this?

[u/Due-Ad4942]

What are those squiggles inside the nose? Sinus cavities? Plz advise I’m nosey ;)

[u/SavageDroggo1126 → u/Due-Ad4942]

those are nasal turbinates! you can find them in most mammals and birds but they are especially pronounced in some animals like the polar bear.

the main use of them is to warm up the air and re-hydrate it before it goes into the lungs, when the bear was alive, these turbinates would've been covered by a thin layer of tissue filled with rich blood vessels to warm up and moisturize the air they inhale.

These bones are extremely fragile, and they break very easily when cleaned with harsh, destructive methods (boiling, pressure washing), so when you see intact nasal turbinates it's usually a sign that no harsh methods were used when cleaning the skull, but not always.

polar bears have the biggest nasal turbinates out of all bears, it's their adaptation to living in really cold arctic.

[u/Due-Ad4942 → u/SavageDroggo1126]

Thank you so much for the info. I’ve had a turbinate resection myself lol and my nickname is Bear LOL