val horn Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 When looking on a muddy day in the maryland late cretaceous marine site. Found a small 2 inches 5-6 cm long bone. all help will be appreciated. I am not sure what bone it is, let alone what species. Like most bone from this site the surface texture is in general rough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkdoctor Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 @Gizmo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Nice find. Perhaps it belongs to a Mosasaur... ... @jnoun11, @JarrodB, @JohnJ "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Better focused, well lit photos would help. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norki Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 I'd call this a mosasaur phalange, though not with total certainty. That notch near the end or that groove down its length might be diagnostic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val horn Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 It does look like mosasaur. Thank you. I don’t think you can be too rich too thin or have too many mosasaur fossils and this is my first paddle bone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Based on your photos, I think calling this a mosasaur anything is a little bit presumptuous. It could be another reptile bone or a muddy mammal bone. Have you cleaned it with a soft toothbrush and water? Can you post better focused, well lit images? 1 1 The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val horn Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 Got out my camera instead of my phone but I am not sure that these will be better. It is not muddy or dirty. For this site this is a remarkably clean fossil, much of what is found is fully covered in a white mineral crust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 It seems like there are grooves along the length of the bone in a couple of places. I'm not aware of any mosasaur paddle elements with that characteristic. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val horn Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 Ok. What is the next thought. I don’t believe that it is croc or turtle because I would expect more curvature in the long axis of the bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Unfortunately, the photos don't display the details of bone texture and features. Seeing those will assist an ID beyond a hypothesis. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
val horn Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 Well as I have suggested to others when between a rock and a hard place it may require my taking it to somebody to look at it in person. I appreciate all the help 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 4 minutes ago, val horn said: Well as I have suggested to others when between a rock and a hard place it may require my taking it to somebody to look at it in person. I appreciate all the help Wise words. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrodB Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 Not enough detail for me to ID. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now