Prehistoric Whale Vertebrae?

[PatrickHirtz]

This is a fossil found near many sharks teeth in the Northern Neck of Virginia. It was found on the side of a cliff in Westmoreland County VA. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

 

   

Edited April 5, 2021 by PatrickHirtz
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[Fossildude19]

Looks like a dolphin/delphinid atlas vertebra.

 

@Boesse

 

EDIT: what is the size?

[PatrickHirtz]

Here is the picture with ruler. It’s about 9 cm while. Thanks for help

[Sjfriend]

Definitely an atlas vertebra and I would agree it is more dolphin sized though there are plenty of tiny whale species out there 

[Boesse]

This is a pretty strange looking atlas vertebra, but it is definitely from an odontocete, and I suspect it's from a squalodelphinid - squalodelphinids including Notocetus and Phocageneus (possibly reidentifiable as "Medocinia") are already known from the Calvert Fm. & Pungo River Ls.

 

For comparison, here is Macrosqualodelphis from the late early Miocene of Peru:

 

[PatrickHirtz]

Thank you so much!!!! I really appreciate you helping us figure this out.