Fossil_Adult Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Ok so to start off with this, I’m going to post my finds from a recent trip to the outer banks of North Carolina. I was very disappointed to be going to this location at first, because I had no idea of its fossil significance. I wanted to go further down south where the sharks teeth get huge, but the cases further down for Covid 19 were very high and I didn’t want to risk catching the virus so the whole group (who were all my neighbors) decided to head here instead. The first day on the beach, I found a lot of fish fossils (including those vertebrae’s) but it was the second day that was the best. I came across a canine jaw! With the teeth still inside it. It was just sitting in the gravel where I searched for shark teeth and I was so happy of my find because I knew it was something good. As the days went on, I kept finding more evidence of land mammal fossils here, including an astragalus, a scute for a mammal of some sort, crab fragments, fish bone, and a lot more! I have to say, in my years of collecting North Carolina I’ve never come across such an abundance of land mammal fossils in one week. The one question I have, however, is if there is any way you guys could help me identify the species of the jaw? I tried to look for fossil formations off shore but I can’t find any links leading to what this came from. I tried looking at land mammal fauna’s of N.C. but it pulled up nothing. Is there any way to get a specific ID on this jaw? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Can't help with the ids, but nice finds! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Picture #4's items are Sea Robin Skull elements. Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Cropped, enlarged and brightened: 2 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thecosmilia Trichitoma Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 @Harry Pristis It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 The jaw looks to be from a dog or dog like animal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil_Adult Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 Thanks for all the input and the cropping guys! I think it’s a dog too but I would want to know if there is any way to specifically identify this jaw to a species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 18 minutes ago, Fossil_teenager said: there is any way to specifically identify this jaw to a species. Given that it is a partial jaw showing significant wear and the variability in domestic dog jaws, I'd be surprised if you could be very certain on a species. The relatively small size alone make me think dog (Canis familiaris) but certainly a small coyote is not out of the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil_Adult Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 I think I may have figured it out. It looks like a skunk jaw more than a dog. I’m going to do research on Pleistocene skunks and see what I find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 The jaw appears to be from a river otter, Lutra sp. 2 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil_Adult Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 If it is a river otter, that's pretty sick. I don't have one of those in my collection so that actually pretty exciting! Thanks for the ID, Harry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I do not believe that a skunk (unless skunks were a lot bigger in the past) based on size, shape of the lower margin and the coronoid process! Your partial jaw is over 2 inches long. I can buy into the whole river otter ID in looking at the shape of the coronoid process and the teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Here is a picture of a river otter (Lutra canadensis, on top) and a dog lower jaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil_Adult Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 I think its a river otter. Are they common to find or super rare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Agreed with @Harry Pristis looks like river otter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I like your searobin skull plates. " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil_Adult Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 Thank you everyone for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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