Cetacean jaw

[Shellseeker]

I have been hunting fossils for 15 years. On Thursday, I found my 2nd ever section of detailed Cetacean jaw material. These are exceedingly rare. It is 2.8 inches in length and has 3 alveoli. It would seem to be more Dolphin size than whale sized.  The patina would indicate that the top and 2 sides are relatively complete, and it is broken at the underside.

Position wise, this section might be lower right, posterior half of Jaw.

 

Please let me know if you agree this is Dolphin, and what are the possibilities. Here is a photo of Kentriodontae Dolphin with a jaw segment of similar size and lots of teeth !!

 

 

Please try to give me some insights.  Like were the teeth as short as it seems they would have to be to fit this jaw.

Edited April 24, 2021 by Shellseeker

[Thomas.Dodson]

Little cetacean experience so I can't help you there but that's a beautiful find. Congratulations.

[Shellseeker]

10 hours ago, Thomas.Dodson said:

Little cetacean experience so I can't help you there but that's a beautiful find. Congratulations.

Thank you Thomas,  I am actually estatic about this find.

I am going to attempt to generate discussion and skate onto thin ice of my low level on knowledge of dolphins. Maybe I will discover what is not true. If I go too far, maybe @Boesse or @Harry Pristis or @frankh8147 will throw a lifeline.

This is one photo on a type of Dolphin jaw bone. It is why I am thinking the section I have is is right posterior of the jaw. If you look to the 4th photo (above) you can see the Avoliei are so close to the outer jaw wall that it have broken through. I believe that I have a segment of lower jaw, but I do not have the experience to tell.

 

Is this a segment of a Kentriodontae Dolphin?  Harry has some great photos:

 

I have found some teeth that are far too large to "fit" into the Alveoli and far too long to fit into this narrow jaw width. The only one that I have found that might fit is this one...

 

The Isthminia panamensis jaw I post above is flat (minus teeth) on top. But the jaw below is not flat. There is a mound that make the Alvoeli on the left higher than those 2 on the right. That should be noticeable on a complete jaw.

[Boesse]

Nice find - you've got a mandible section of Delphinodon dividum. For comparison, here are the mandibles and teeth of Delphinodon dividum described and figured by True (1912):

[Shellseeker]

6 hours ago, Boesse said:

Nice find - you've got a mandible section of Delphinodon dividum. For comparison, here are the mandibles and teeth of Delphinodon dividum described and figured by True (1912):

Thank you, Bobby.  I am happy to have an ID,  and I have a lot of reading to do to get a lot more familiar with Delphinodon dividum. I do have some teeth that "look" like those in True's pictures, but they seem too big. It seems that D. dividum has small teeth in the range of 1-1.25 inches.

[Reebs]

Wow, really cool find! Congratulations @Shellseeker

[minnbuckeye]

Great find, as always!!! My son just reported floods from storms in Bradenton. Is the Peace still huntable? If so, I may need to pay him a visit soon. 

 

 Mike

[Shellseeker]

9 hours ago, Reebs said:

Wow, really cool find! Congratulations @Shellseeker

Thanks Reebs,

It is not that I do not find Dolphin jaws in the Peace River.  The vast majority are heavily eroded and do not quite have the pizazz of this new find.

 

1 hour ago, minnbuckeye said:

Great find, as always!!! My son just reported floods from storms in Bradenton. Is the Peace still huntable? If so, I may need to pay him a visit soon.

 Mike

The river has been bouncing around.

Some upstream lakes had their locks wide open in December thru March. and that meant we were frequently at flood stage.. you can see the effect of recent rains... drove the depth up by less than 2 feet,, back in late February we had a 5 foot rise on a 71 foot base.

At 70 feet on this gauge , finding deep water is a challenge.

C'mon down, the water's fine.