NSR Vertebrate Unknown?

[Titan]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've found several Mosasaur verts but this one doesn't match the anatomy of any that I've found before. I know it's damaged, but any ideas on what this is?

1:

 

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4:

 

5:

 

Thanks!

[Susan Slater]

Definitely bone matrix in picture 4. Sue

[val horn]

that is a big vertebra and one side looks like a juvenile epiphysis, but I am no nearer identifying.  could it be pleistocene?

[ThePhysicist]

I'm very sure it's mosasaur bone, doesn't look like turtle. It may be some part I'm not familiar with, like the pelvis or skull. 

[Titan]

@val horn Me either, but thanks for commenting. Theoretically it could be but it has the same feel as a lot of mosasaur material from the Ozan.

 

@ThePhysicist That's my trouble as well. I just can't match it to anything. Maybe it's part of a limb as it kind of looks like a femur or maybe an ulna...

 

 

Or maybe even a metecarpal 5 (mc5).

Edited March 20, 2021 by Titan

[JohnJ]

It might be the lateral process and edge of a vertebra from one of the big mosasaurs.

[Titan]

@JohnJ Thanks for the comment John, that does seem more likely given the number of vertebra that come out of the NSR! I hadn't found anything quite like it so wanted to try to narrow down the ID.

Edited March 20, 2021 by Titan

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

For what it's worth, this doesn't look like plesiosaur to me either. But neither does it look like a mosasaur podial bone: those would be a lot thinner (as can be seen in the images of mosasaur paddles at the Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen in Brussels). Moreover, this would need to have come from quite a sizeable mosasaur, as most have smaller podial bones.

 

 

 

Hainosaurus bernardi from Ciply

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mosasaurus lemonnieri from Ciply

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mosasaurus hoffmanni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, I do think I recognize the convex side of a mosasaur vertebra in the rough/speckled side of this fossil, and am even more certain I recognize part of the concave vertebral surface on the opposite side of the piece. As such, I think John is right and this is a partial/halved vertebra with lateral process.

[DE&i]

At first glance I thought it resembled a stapes bone. 

[Titan]

@pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Thanks for the pictures! Those are extremely helpful. I agree, I think John has the right ID. Were it complete it would make this vertebra larger than any I've seen though.

 

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by Titan