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Hey all, I just finished writing my annual review of the year's publications in marine mammal paleontology - nearly 60 papers this year. http://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2017/01/2016-in-review-advances-in-marine.html Cheers, Bobby

Hello I'm not sure if it belongs to a cetacea or a manatee, could someone help me, thanks.

This a whale cervical vertebra that was given to me 10-12 years ago. It is from the Middle Miocene Sharktooth Hill Bonebed (probably Bob Ernst's old "Whale Quarry" judging by the preservation). You will notice an unusual trough-like depression (perhaps 3-4mm at its deepest) in the bone surface. For years, I thought it was a bite mark though it seemed like a weird one. Then, a couple of years ago, I found this publication: Thomas, H.W., Barnes, L.G., Klein, J.E, and S.A. McLeod. 2008. Examples of paleopathologies in some fossil Cetacea from the North Pacific realm. In Wang, X. and L.G. Barnes (eds.).. Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Western and Southern North America. Contributions in Honor of David p. Whistler. Science Series. 41. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. After looking at the various patholigies figured in that article, I think the depression is a pathology. It is too smooth to be a tool mark from the time it was dug out. A force strong enough to leave a mark like that would have shattered the bone of this preservation (rather fragile, ceramic-like quality) to some very noticeable degree. Maybe someone else has seen or studied something similar?