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Bite marks on Stylemys nebrascensis turtle?


Ruger9a

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Good morning folks.  I have a fossil Stylemys nebrascensis(?) turtle from the White River Badlands of South Dakota.  I noticed what "appears" to be bite marks on both the top and bottom of the shell after I removed a layer of matrix.  I carefully washed it with a medium bristle, plastic brush and Dawn Dishwashing liquid.  What are your thoughts on the "marks"?

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Stylemys nebrascensis2.JPG

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39 minutes ago, ParkerPaleo said:

I've seen many over the years with bite damage.  Either from large carnivores or rodents.

Thanks for the response, but do the marks on this turtle look like bite marks? 

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You might check out the thread on my tortoise from Nebraska.  There are a few paper references on bite marks.

 

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/106717-predatorscavenger-puncture-marks-in-an-oligocene-tortoise-carapace/&tab=comments#comment-1183557

 

 

Marco Sr.

 

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5 hours ago, MarcoSr said:

You might check out the thread on my tortoise from Nebraska.  There are a few paper references on bite marks.

 

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/106717-predatorscavenger-puncture-marks-in-an-oligocene-tortoise-carapace/&tab=comments#comment-1183557

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

 

 

 

@MarcoSr  Wow, I don't know how I could have missed this thread.  It has a lot of good discussion information in it.  Thanks for providing it and to those who contributed to it.  I do have a few differences on my turtle, (1) There are no round, burrow looking holes that I see.  (2) There appears to be scrape marks (in sets of three and four) on both the obverse and reverse (darker color) on the same end where the shell is semi crushed.  I'm not disputing the disease theory, I'm just wondering about the different scrape marks.  The scrapes remind me of the marks my dog left when biting on my trailer tire, LOL.

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18 hours ago, ParkerPaleo said:

How far apart are the two large holes on the top?  Does it fit a hyaenadon or archaeotherium?

@ParkerPaleo    Thanks for your response.  The two holes are about 2" apart.  But the darker colored scrape/gouge marks above them and slightly to the left are what I was thinking might be teeth marks.  Kind of like it tried to pick it up by the backside and it wouldn't quite fit into it's mouth.  The reverse side has the same type of marks shaped like "oIIIIo" right above the center line of the turtle.  Wish I knew how to make circles on photos.........  It's probably just my imagination anyway. 

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On 9/27/2020 at 4:55 PM, ParkerPaleo said:

@Ruger9a

 

Sounds like something Hyaenadon sized if it is bite marks.

 

Here's a few pics of an archeotherium and a horridus for sizing.

 

Also, found this video of a lion attacking a tortoise.  https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/00000162-43e0-d433-ad73-d3f3fd060000

 

 

@ParkerPaleo Hyaenodon horridus seems to be about the right size (88-130 pounds) but that's only speculation on my part.  I guess I'll never know for sure but will always wonder.  The lion/turtle video was interesting.  Thanks again for the information. 

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