Texrat Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 My son and I found this at McFaddin Beach southwest of Port Arthur Texas. We think it may be fossilized bone based the sticky tongue test. We are amateurs at fossil identification... So any help on confirming or correcting would be appreciated. From what I understand fossils from the pleistocene era are common along this beach. It was found near a very large area of gray clay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Well, yes it does look like it is a bone and it’s probably a piece of a leg bone, but I think anything beyond that based on its fragmentary nature is going to be a stretch. It’s missing both ends which are often very diagnostic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texrat Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 Thank you. We figured it would be hard to tell what kind of animal. Our biggest question is if it is a fossil or just a bone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 It's most likely a fossil. It's a little unlikely that it can be proven though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Hi and welcome to the Fossil Forum! As previously said, I don't think a species ID will be possible here unfortunately. However it does appear to me that this bone is fossilized. To test whether this is true, you could try doing the burn test: bring a flame to the bone. If it starts to stink, then that's an indication of the collagen inside the bone burning, meaning the bone is modern (collagen is a substance that usually decomposes during fossilization). If nothing happens, then chances are high it's fossil bone. Best regards, Max 1 Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texrat Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 Thank you . There was a faint smell I think was collagen. We couldn’t smell it while it was in the flame, but if we held it to our nose, right after it came out of the flame, there was a distinct smell, like hair burning... Anyway we have had fun investigating. Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 31 minutes ago, Texrat said: Thank you . There was a faint smell I think was collagen. We couldn’t smell it while it was in the flame, but if we held it to our nose, right after it came out of the flame, there was a distinct smell, like hair burning... Anyway we have had fun investigating. Thanks for your help. I think there is still a chance of it being a fossil. The test can be a grey area, in my opinion at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texrat Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 Good to know. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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