Is this bone?

[Planko]

 

Hey everyone, 

 

This is on another site. They are stuck between claw or talon. Thoughts?

Found in the mud in the Walnut River, Kansas.

 

[Mark Kmiecik]

Doesn't really look like either one to me, although I think it is bone. I'm no expert, so I'll defer to those who are.

[Darktooth]

Yeah, I dont believe this is a claw or talon either.

[Rockwood]

A closer look at the texture might help, but I think it is bone. Could be a fragment worn to a deceptive shape.

[val horn]

Antler?

[Rockwood]

32 minutes ago, val horn said:

Antler?

The texture, and the fact that it was found in Kansas make it seem unlikely to me.

[LordTrilobite]

Bone fragment yes. Claw/talon, no.

[Planko]

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[ClearLake]

If it is bone, it could be the coronoid process of an ungulate.  That's a broken piece of the lower jaw.  The picture below is of a sheep just for diagrammatic purposes.  Could be deer, sheep, etc.

 

[Rockwood]

I'm in for skeptical on that.

[sjaak]

23 hours ago, ClearLake said:

If it is bone, it could be the coronoid process of an ungulate.  That's a broken piece of the lower jaw.  The picture below is of a sheep just for diagrammatic purposes.  Could be deer, sheep, etc.

 

 

I agree with this suggestion.  See for instance:

 

http://www.boneid.net/product/lateral-view-cattle-mandible/

[Rockwood]

I see this area on the examples here, and ones I have found, as concave or concave with a foramen present. 

In my mind that presents a problem in comparison with the post.

[ClearLake]

@Rockwood Check out OP picture #1. I see concave there. I also think there are lots of choices of animals given we don’t know the age of this (recent, Pleistocene??). I went and looked at a half dozen different skulls that I have and the amount of concavity where you pointed out is present to barely visible depending on the animal. 

 

I’m happy to go with another option when I see a better suggestion, but to me it looks like a reasonable match to the coronoid process of an uncertain species. 

[Rockwood]

You may have noticed I harbor contrarian tendencies.

Someone has to.