Someone bit my paddle bone!

[LiamL]

I thought some of you may find this interesting.

This is an Ichthyosaur paddle digit that looks like there could be a tooth hole in the middle. This could have happened during life or after it had died and then been scavenged on the seabed.  Of course there could be another explanation that it has been crushed during fossilisation, but this doesnt look like the usual crushed type specimins i’ve found.

Wondered what your thoughts are? Found in Whitby, Yorkshire. 
 

Normal looking side

 

 

Bitten? Side

 

[Pemphix]

I'm in doubt about bite marks. You would see marks on both sides of the vertebra, what is obviously not the case.

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

On 9/15/2020 at 10:49 AM, Pemphix said:

I'm in doubt about bite marks. You would see marks on both sides of the vertebra, what is obviously not the case.

 

Not if two or more vertebrae were still connected when it happened. I don't think this looks like a bite mark, though, but it's not impossible for it to happen to only one side.

[RuMert]

7 hours ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

if two or more vertebrae were still connected

It's not a vertebra so it was not connected in a way preventing a bite mark appearing on the other side

[Pemphix]

4 hours ago, RuMert said:

It's not a vertebra so it was not connected in a way preventing a bite mark appearing on the other side

Correct, thank you for the hint. I've mixed it up, but this is indeed one more reason why it is doubtfull that this paddle-bone shows a bite mark...