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How do you differ between bony fish vertebrae and shark vertebrae? What about these three vertebrae from Kiowa formation (Albian)? #1: approximately 5.5mm wide and 3mm thick. #2: approximately 5.5mm wide and 2.3mm thick. #3: approximately 4.8mm wide and 2.3mm thick.

I'm quite used to finding small fish vertebra from these small sized fish coprolites @GeschWhat from the Oxford Clay of Peterborough. But this one below has more of a shark vertebra appearance, or are there different variations of fish vertebrae. All vertebrae measuring between 2 and 3 millimetres. This one below is also a fish vertebra.

We went beachcombing at McFaddin Beach near Sabine Pass, Texas yesterday and found some interesting bones as well as a mammal tooth yesterday. I am aware that most of these are likely not fossils but I was still wondering if someone can still tell me what they are.

I have several thousand well preserved shark and ray vertebrae from the Eocene of Virginia. I also have many more thousands of bony fish vertebrae from the Eocene of Virginia. See the group pictures in this post. The paper plates are 9 inches in diameter for size reference. There is very little written on fossil shark and ray vertebrae that I can find in the literature and what is written is scattered throughout a good number of different papers. I have a unique, extensive assemblage of many different vertebrae types and forms which represent the fish species from the Eocene of Virginia that could be the basis of a very comprehensive paper on fossil shark, ray and bony fish vertebrae. After two years of looking for a fish researcher interested in studying these vertebrae and writing a paper, which in my opinion is really needed to help with fossil fish vertebrae identification, I’ve finally found a renowned fish researcher who is very interested. In an e-mail reply after seeing pictures of the vertebrae, he stated “I can tell you the shark, ray, and bony fish vertebral centra are worth describing! They appear to be beautifully preserved! The dataset looks exciting to me”. I’m hoping that different fish vertebrae types can be identified and described and realize it will be extremely difficult, with the current state of both fossil and extant fish vertebrae research, to try to identify the vertebrae further to fish family/genera/species. I will donate all of the vertebrae so there is a large comparative sample to go along with those vertebrae specifically described in any paper. Pictures of the shark and ray vertebrae ( 1.5 mm to 20 mm): Continued in the next reply. Marco Sr.

I apologize if I posted this in the wrong forum. I didn't feel I had the necessary location info to post in the ID forum. I recently acquired a "large collection" of fossil bones, shells, and corals from an estate sale. The collector lived and dug in Texas, Florida, and a little in Pennsylvania. He possibly dug in other regions but I am going on what was labeled and what info I could get from the estate manager. I walked away with roughly 300 bone specimens (sulphur River), 30 coral/shell specimens, and 200ish fossil shark teeth (Sulphur River). Looks like a life collection of choice pieces as far as the bone specimens go. Included in the collection were 20 spearpoints out of (Sulpher River Area), 50ish small mastodon tusk fragments, and some bones and other odds and ends. I am trying to ID and sort the collection but any a advice on how to proceed would be appreciated! The bones were broken down into boxes labeled (Mososaur bones Sulpher River) or (Mososaur/ other bones SR.). all groupings have been kept together. Collection has awesome vertebrae, fin bones, jaw sections (missing teeth) loose teeth, and some nice coral pieces. I may be able to attain more specific info related to the specific locale and formation but the original collector has passed away. Any advice on how to proceed in processing/ piecing out this collection would be appreciated!. I am staying up far later than I should trying to ID and label everything.