Small finger looking bone found in Eastern Lake County Oregon.

[Jbadair]

   I found this fossil on our ranch near Plush Oregon a few weeks ago. It is the 2nd complete bone fossil I have ever found. The first was allegedly a camel cannon bone. I would like to make a post on it later but this one really grabs my attention. 

   The length is 1 3/8" (34.925 mm) and the larger width is 1/2" (12.7 mm) and the smaller width is 3/8" (9.525 mm).  I found it in a small dry alkaline lakebed. I have found fragments from there for a long time. People just call them camel bones but there has never been  anything identifiable. The last picture is of the fragments you usually find.

   I found this right before sunset about 3/4's of the way up the old dune that makes up the north edge of the small dry lake. The geological map I got off of the app rockd says it is in a quaternary surficial deposit; pluvial lake valley deposits. 2.588-0ma. 

  I have a friend who knows a little about fossils and he thought it might be a toe bone off of a Mesohippus. I was wondering if anybody has any other guesses? I dont know much about fossils but I am trying to learn!      Any thoughts would be welcomed. Thank you

[fossilus]

Possibly a tail (caudal) vertebrae?

[val horn]

I don’t think it is a vertebrae,  I would agree that it is a finger or toe bone and do not have a clue as to whose

[GeschWhat]

My first impression was a tail vertebra as well. 

[val horn]

I am certainly not an expert but when I look at the proximal end and see what looks  like tuberositiesi think long bone and at that size and thickness I think phalanges.

[GeschWhat]

I'll tag a couple of folks that know way more than I do about bones. @Harry Pristis@Shellseeker

[Shellseeker]

Please read this thread:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/96234-toe-bone-id/

 

On the last post from @fossillarry,  he "knows"  3 toed horses. You need to find a fossil proximal phalanx of a mammal like mesohippus and compare it to your bone. Hopefully , Harry can be more exact.  I am better on small horse teeth than on their bones.

[digit]

My mind went to caudal vert as well. It's good to know where your mind has gone.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[ClearLake]

That bone does not appear to have the articulating surfaces of a toe bone (see for example @Shellseeker suggested link) but looks a lot like a caudal vertebrae.

[jpc]

Without sounding too pompous, I will not guess, but I will state.... This is a tail vertebra from a mammal.  Which animal... I have no idea. 

[Carl]

Absolutely a caudal vertebra

[Oregon1955]

Welcome to the forum Jbadair. Love your portion of the state. As you note, the lake deposits in your area are Pliocene/Pleistocene. Rumor has it your find is a caudal vertebra. How cool is that? It's not Mesohippus and might not be identifiable to even a genus level but the list of likely candidates is pretty small. It's an important find for only your 2nd complete identifiable bone. Keep up the good work and post those camel bones here.

[Jbadair]

     I really appreciate everyone's replies!  I agree that its probably a caudal vertebrae. The dates just seemed to fantastic for a Mesohippus but finding a horse toe made for a good story!  I need to find a camel toe and I think my life would be complete! The stories I could spin as an Irishman!

    Thanks again everyone!!

[digit]

30 minutes ago, Jbadair said:

I need to find a camel toe and I think my life would be complete!

That's a pretty simple list. The more you hang around here the more fossils you'll be exposed to and your fossil wish list will grow unhindered (if you do it right).

 

I've found only a single camel toe sifting for fossils in the Peace River here in Florida. Just last week I came across a bit of a rarity--a toe bone from the species of dwarf llama at the Montbrook dig site in northern Florida where my wife and I volunteer. We often find caudal verts from the gomphothere (proboscidean) that is relatively common at the site. This is why I was leaning for caudal vert for your find--I've seen several in recent months.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

     

 

[Jbadair]

Is that a camel toe? It looks like my other piece that I was going to post next which I thought was a camel cannon bone. Lol I might already have a camel toe and a big fat one at that!

[digit]

Llama (in the family with the larger camelids).

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[fossillarry]

It is caudal vertebrae . the further from the pelvic area the tail verts become more cylindrical with no articular processes.