Searcher78 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 From Douglas Point, Maryland, I kept this because it looked like a claw, maybe turtle? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 I think better images will be needed for people to be able to identify this. It's very possible this could be a claw, either turtle or crocodile, but I know neither location (and thus fauna) nor can make out the necessary details to tell whether this is a claw or not. What I think you'd be looking for concerning getting an identification - or at least confirmation that this is a claw - would be a photograph of the proximal epiphysis, head on (i.e. the articulation surface where it would have attached to the finger bone), a better image of the ventral side, and then photographs from the lateral sides. Claws typically have lateral groves (and I think may be ventral in some species), and the bone texture should be visible on the articulation surface... 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcher78 Posted September 7, 2020 Author Share Posted September 7, 2020 1 hour ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said: I think better images will be needed for people to be able to identify this. It's very possible this could be a claw, either turtle or crocodile, but I know neither location (and thus fauna) nor can make out the necessary details to tell whether this is a claw or not. What I think you'd be looking for concerning getting an identification - or at least confirmation that this is a claw - would be a photograph of the proximal epiphysis, head on (i.e. the articulation surface where it would have attached to the finger bone), a better image of the ventral side, and then photographs from the lateral sides. Claws typically have lateral groves (and I think may be ventral in some species), and the bone texture should be visible on the articulation surface... The area is known for turtles and crocodile. From a distance I thought fish tooth, but looking closer it has grooves. It is 9mm and very worn, hard for good pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 I'd say it's a good candidate and certainly not a tooth. But as this is far from my speciality, I'm afraid I can't help you much further than that... 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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