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Several days ago, I found what appears to be a dermal scute from a Primitive Gavial-like Crocodile (Thoracosaurus neocesariensis) at Ramanessin Brook. I was hoping that someone here can confirm that this is what I think it is, and also shed some light on why it is so different looking from all the others I have seen. It appears to have a large flat area that is clear of any indents, which cover the entire piece in all other dermal scutes I have seen come out of this location. Perhaps this item is not what I thought it was.

Hi everyone, I need some help identifying something I found yesterday when I went through my newly acquired fossil matrix. Some information on the matrix, it came from the Hastings Bone beds, Weald Clay, Wealden of Bexhill, Wealden Supergroup, Bexhill, Sussex, UK (Cretaceous, Valanginian, 135 million years old) To me when I found it, it looked like skin, not like the crocodile scutes I am familiar with , but really more like skin. But since I am not really an expert on the matter is doesn't really matter what I think it might look like. I do know dinosaur fossils are common there and I do believe skin has been found on that location before (at least footprints with scale impressions) Does anyone have a clue on what it might be? Skin (reptillian, dinosaurian, pterosaur, shark, fish)? Skull plate of a fish? a croc scute? a mouthpart of a fish? Something entirely else? Thank you in advance, and I am very eager to hear what you guys think about it, no matter the outcome, I am very excited to find out what it is.

Today was probably the last family day on the river, I could tell that my girls were over going to the river but they reluctantly went along...I have a feeling that I will have many trips to the mall this winter to make up for it (small price to pay ). I took the family to a new area for them, my wife loved the area and I'm sure that we will be making the trip together again before it gets too cold. She stayed behind with the kids while I made my usual long trek in search of the unknown...as it turned out, maybe she had the right idea. I came back with a small Otodus, a beat up croc tooth, a vert, some sea glass/china, and the usual plethora of sand tiger teeth. She on the other hand found her first Paraorthacodus clarkii that she thought was just about the coolest tooth that she ever found...and a crocodile scute! I'm wondering if a member from here was the one who identified it for her because a gentleman who was searching near her and the kids apparently was extremely knowledgeable and identified a bunch of things for her, including the scute, which he said was the smallest one he had ever seen and said it would have come from a baby croc. I think I'm going to get out on the lower Potomac on Monday...at least I hope I will. The complete haul. Some of the better teeth. Scute, vert, beat up croc tooth, Paraorthacodus clarkii, glass/china, couple of ray plates. Scute enlarged. Vert enlarged. Paraorthacodus clarkii - she is really in love with this tooth, wrapped it in a tissue to protect it on the way home. Otodus.