Academic casts-identification help!

[LabRatKing]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but, here is a bunch of specimens. All are resin or plaster casts of the real deal. some appear to have been painted (poorly) none have been stored correctly and any records of them are long gone. These are part of the collection at the University I work for. I'm not a mammal guy, but I suspect I had better become one quickly. Some have various collection codes on them, but I have been unable to figure out what they mean. These are some of the ones I am clueless on:

 

Jokingly referred to as the "bonenana"...tusk? rib?

 

 

[FossilsandScience]

I think it might be a Castoroides incisor. Has the right shape and I think I see the right texture as well. I'd wait for other opinions though!

[LabRatKing]

I'll post some more details/ individual close ups over the next week or so, but here is what I am working through right now:

Many of the ones that have vague labels read "UNSM and some numbers" University Southern Montana perhaps? Manitoba? I have no idea, and the fellow that ran the program passed away nearly 20 years ago apparently, so no hints there.

 

 

There is a second, smaller crate with what appears to be bear and beaver and other stuff, I'll post those later too.

[LabRatKing]

4 minutes ago, FossilsandScience said:

I think it might be a Castoroides incisor. Has the right shape and I think I see the right texture as well. I'd wait for other opinions though!

That could be, however it is quite a big larger than the Castoroides cast I have here:

[FossilsandScience]

24 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

That could be, however it is quite a big larger than the Castoroides cast I have here:

Your right, it is a bit large. It might be a tusk or rib fragment, but I'm not sure anymore!

[PaleoNoel]

Your piece could also be a cast of a young mammoth or mastodon tusk.

[PaleoNoel]

2 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

I'll post some more details/ individual close ups over the next week or so, but here is what I am working through right now:

Many of the ones that have vague labels read "UNSM and some numbers" University Southern Montana perhaps? Manitoba? I have no idea, and the fellow that ran the program passed away nearly 20 years ago apparently, so no hints there.

 

 

There is a second, smaller crate with what appears to be bear and beaver and other stuff, I'll post those later too.

For a better ID we need pics of the individual jaws along with the chewing surface. Those carnivore jaws could potentially be borophagine dogs if I were to wager a guess. Above them is the horn core and partial skull cap from a bovid (probably bison) and the large herbivore jaw on the bottom is hard to tell, doesn't seem to match up with bison so maybe a large cervid like a stag moose?

*edit* when first posting this I had not considered camel as an option, it may belong to one.

 

@Harry Pristis @jpc @siteseer

Edited October 2, 2020 by PaleoNoel

[DPS Ammonite]

UNSM might be University of Nebraska State Museum. Maybe contact them for more help.

 

Here is a paper that describes some of the fossils with UNSM numbers. Some might match up to your fossils.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by DPS Ammonite

[Harry Pristis]

The banana-looking object in the group image on the table looks like the lower tusk (incisor) from a large rhinoceratoid.

 

Some suggestions for your images:  Photograph the jaws with the teeth toward the camera, even the lower jaws.  Photographing the lower jaws in a life position obscures the critical view of the occlusal surface. 

 

On these light-color casts, try to angle the lighting so that there is some shadow among the cusps of the teeth.  Occlusal view of teeth is crucial to identification.

[LabRatKing]

Thanks all! Individual pictures of each piece are on the way. I appreciate all the tips! Have verified UNSM is University of Nebraska State Museum. Also have a few marked SDSM like South Dakota State Museum, and a fun one that reads AMNH which might be American Museum of Natural History.

 

I have reached out to University Nebraska Lincoln, and may be able to get some details on some of them.

 

I got distracted for a bit when I came across a box marked "Uranium and Mercury Ores" so my day is pretty much ruined enacting hazmat protocols....nothing like playing with fossils and such and then having to suit up...best.job.ever.

[DPS Ammonite]

6 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

I got distracted for a bit when I came across a box marked "Uranium and Mercury Ores" so my day is pretty much ruined enacting hazmat protocols....nothing like playing with fossils and such and then having to suit up...best.job.ever.

Have the wonderful members of Mindat help you with IDing and logistics of handling the mercury and uranium minerals. I always tell people that the most dangerous thing about mercury and uranium minerals is be hit by them. I also know at least one retired dealer that could help.

[siteseer]

4 hours ago, FossilsandScience said:

I think it might be a Castoroides incisor. Has the right shape and I think I see the right texture as well. I'd wait for other opinions though!

 

 

That looks more like a hippo tusk.

 

Jess

 

 

 

 

[LabRatKing]

6 hours ago, DPS Ammonite said:

Have the wonderful members of Mindat help you with IDing and logistics of handling the mercury and uranium minerals. I always tell people that the most dangerous thing about mercury and uranium minerals is be hit by them. I also know at least one retired dealer that could help.

Ah, no worries there, I work with far scarier hazmat on a daily basis. We have a full disposal and containment program, and I'm certified accordingly. Good news is was only two samples of each under 25g total and they were properly triple sealed, so I can just send them out with the solid waste on our quarterly disposal pick up. Just some cinnabar and pitchblende thankfully.

[DPS Ammonite]

3 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

Ah, no worries there, I work with far scarier hazmat on a daily basis. We have a full disposal and containment program, and I'm certified accordingly. Good news is was only two samples of each under 25g total and they were properly triple sealed, so I can just send them out with the solid waste on our quarterly disposal pick up. Just some cinnabar and pitchblende thankfully.

You can’t give them away to a local mineral/ geology society? 

[jpc]

AMNH is indeed the American Museum of Natural History in NYC

SDSM is the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City

And I believe you are right about UNSM.  I can help you get in touch with the right folks at these places... PM me if needed.  

[LabRatKing]

11 hours ago, jpc said:

AMNH is indeed the American Museum of Natural History in NYC

SDSM is the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City

And I believe you are right about UNSM.  I can help you get in touch with the right folks at these places... PM me if needed.  

We have a few contacts at UNL so that shouldn’t be an issue, the others, I’ll pm you. Thanks!

[LabRatKing]

 

On 10/2/2020 at 1:18 PM, DPS Ammonite said:

UNSM might be University of Nebraska State Museum. Maybe contact them for more help.

 

Here is a paper that describes some of the fossils with UNSM numbers. Some might match up to your fossils.

 

 

Thanks for this very helpful tip, I was able to get a copy from the UNL digital commons!

[LabRatKing]

So, the update is that everything is identified thanks in no small part to numerous members here.

 

Only the bonenanna and what appears to be a canid like mandible are left to figure out. (I'll update on those two tomorrow.)

 

They both have numbers, but no collection ID so they are proving difficult, but I like a challenge.