PrehistoricWonders Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Hi all, I found this bone on the beach today and wanted your guys thoughts. I really didn’t think it was fossilized, but I did the burn test anyway to be sure, and there is no burning hair smell. What are your guys thoughts? It was found in New Jersey, on a beach where I have found a couple shark teeth(4 or 5) including a Great White and a couple sand tigers. I think it’s a worn vertebrae, but I don’t know beyond that. When I get home I can get measurements, but I’d guess ~1-1.5” by ~1”. @Praefectus @Al Dente @MarcoSr @Darktooth @hokietech96 @Trevor @frankh8147 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Looks like bone (you can make out the vascularized bone texture, and in certain places some remnants of cortical bone), and vertebra is probably a good guess based on the fossil's barrel-shape. The bone is very worn, though, so I doubt it'll be possible to get a proper ID for it, except that it won't be fish. Material found on this beach, would it be Cretaceous (to judge by the location of New Jersey)? 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted December 23, 2020 Author Share Posted December 23, 2020 I was wondering that too, but I don’t think so. I think more likely Miocene-Pleistocene, but I’m not positive. I’ve never found a Cretaceous fossil on this beach... but I don’t know it’s impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 54 minutes ago, Familyroadtrip said: I was wondering that too, but I don’t think so. I think more likely Miocene-Pleistocene, but I’m not positive. I’ve never found a Cretaceous fossil on this beach... but I don’t know it’s impossible. Going by the type of preservation, I'd say that it matches my expectations for Pleistocene. It seems very similar to material of the same age from both Florida and the Netherlands... 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted December 24, 2020 Author Share Posted December 24, 2020 24 minutes ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said: Going by the type of preservation, I'd say that it matches my expectations for Pleistocene. It seems very similar to material of the same age from both Florida and the Netherlands... Nice! That would be awesome! Do you have a guess at species? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoNoel Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 Maybe a worn dolphin vert if it was found in proximity to teeth from recent species of shark. Probably brought in from offshore deposits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praefectus Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 I think it is fossil mammal bone. Not sure if it can be identified further. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnoun11 Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 pygal scute of marine turtle The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted December 24, 2020 Author Share Posted December 24, 2020 10 hours ago, PaleoNoel said: Maybe a worn dolphin vert if it was found in proximity to teeth from recent species of shark. Probably brought in from offshore deposits. That'd be awesome! 9 hours ago, Praefectus said: I think it is fossil mammal bone. Not sure if it can be identified further. Yeah, it’s very worn, so I get that. 8 hours ago, jnoun11 said: pygal scute of marine turtle Got a pic? It could be, but in person it looks more like a vert than anything I’ve seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 16 hours ago, Familyroadtrip said: Nice! That would be awesome! Do you have a guess at species? Pleistocene is outside of my area of expertise, so really wouldn't know. Also, with both sides of the vertebral centrum so worn down, I doubt this can be identified. For that I think you'd need to at least be able to say whether the vertebral surfaces were flat, convex or concave. Depending on the combination and order (front to back), you'd at least be able ti speculate on whether it's mammal, reptile, etc. But I see some others have made some suggestions already 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted December 24, 2020 Author Share Posted December 24, 2020 41 minutes ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said: Pleistocene is outside of my area of expertise, so really wouldn't know. Also, with both sides of the vertebral centrum so worn down, I doubt this can be identified. For that I think you'd need to at least be able to say whether the vertebral surfaces were flat, convex or concave. Depending on the combination and order (front to back), you'd at least be able ti speculate on whether it's mammal, reptile, etc. But I see some others have made some suggestions already It’s not concave, one side might be convex, but it’s so worn I’m not positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 12 hours ago, Praefectus said: I think it is fossil mammal bone. Not sure if it can be identified further. I agree with this statement @Praefectus : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted December 24, 2020 Author Share Posted December 24, 2020 40 minutes ago, Trevor said: I agree with this statement @Praefectus Cool, thank you! Super happy to have it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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