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Unknown Jawbone Please Help


dennis1127

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I found this jaw bone in mexico on a beach and have no idea what it is. It’s blue which i think is especially weird. Thanks for all your help! One picture is next to my dog for size lol.

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I believe that may be a broken, water worn. large shell with its toothed margin giving the impression of, well, teeth.   

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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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i don’t think so, the teeth are shiny and seem to be a different material or something than the rest of it, and if you look on the side pic the teeth go inside the bone structure.

image.jpg

image.jpg

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16 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

I believe that may be a broken, water worn. large shell with its toothed margin giving the impression of, well, teeth.   

do you still think it’s a shell? i really have no idea but i think it sure looks like a jaw

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I think it might be a partial parrot fish tooth.

 

@digit

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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1 minute ago, JohnJ said:

I think it might be a partial parrot fish tooth.

 

wow it sure does look like the upper jaw to one, i wonder how they get that blue color on the bone

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5 minutes ago, dennis1127 said:

do you still think it’s a shell?

Your new pictures are more intriguing. The first - the "teeth" now appear (to my eye) a different texture (smooth, enamel- like). In the second, there appear some small windows or channels, which seem more jaw-like. So, I don't know, others will, I bet. 

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

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Indeed. It is very much a partial jaw from a parrotfish. Given the size it was likely from one of the three large species in the tropical western Atlantic (Blue Parrotfish, Midnight Parrotfish or Rainbow Parrotfish). The blue coloration in the bone is likely the result of microscopic algae colonizing the porous bone material. The tiny teeth in the jaw would normally look more like a parrot's beak (the source of the family name) but the tiny individual plates that make up this tooth (and are continually replaced) likely disarticulated leaving only the base row as the cartilage decomposed and this piece rolled around in the surf. You'll see your piece marked (f) in the image below.

 

3-s2.0-B9780128028506000047-f04-091-9780128028506.jpg

 

3-s2.0-B9780123706416500248-f15-02-9780123706416.jpg

 

DSCN2369-624x933.jpg

 

 

Here are a couple of good links to learn more about these. The first is less technical.

 

https://www.susanscott.net/ow/extracted-teeth-tell-the-tale-of-a-truly-extraordinary-fish/

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-medicine/parrotfish

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

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