ID help needed...please

[Jim Kovalchick]

I found this chunky fossil this morning at Myrtle Beach. I would love to think its mammal associated, but I'm not sure it's not just a mollusk fossil. I may learn more by cleaning the crusty ocean stuff off.. I don't think it's a cast based on the grain in the broken cross section. Any help would be appreciated.

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

2 hours ago, Jim Kovalchick said:

I found this chunky fossil this morning at Myrtle Beach.

Hi There,

 

This looks like a worn whale bulla (whale inner ear bone) ? These photos aren't great. Can you clean it out a bit for us and take a few photos from a distance (and perpendicular) so the camera lens doesn't distort the shape. 

 

Edit: The references are for morphology (shape) but not necessarily an ID to Genus/Species ... etc..

 

Image Credit:

http://aurorafossilmuseum.org/

I believe this is your portion

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Jim Kovalchick]

Interesting! I never thought of that.  Thanks!

This would have been a big one.

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

1 hour ago, Jim Kovalchick said:

Interesting! I never thought of that.  Thanks!

This would have been a big one.

Yes, they can be quite large .. and funny thing is 'most' casual collectors will step over them or ignore them because they don't look like a 'tooth' or bone of any sort, and are heavily worn/broken. 

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Jim Kovalchick]

Brett,

My wife and I are happy to look at anything unusual on the beach because there are so many cool things to learn about.

This is my second piece of bulla, but the first was much smaller. It didn't occur to me how big they get.

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards,

Jim K