DinoFossilsUK Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 (edited) I'm trying to help someone ID some vertebrae they found recently. They were found in east London, around 4 meters underground in black sticky soil. My first thought was that they looked similar to dolphin vertebrae, and my knowledge of stuff like that isn't great, so any help would be much appreciated! (Actually, I've just realised they're probably from a bison or something similar - I haven't a clue when it comes to mammal verts. The black preservation seems odd though.) Edited June 17, 2021 by DinoFossilsUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calli99 Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 I have no idea what animal these vertebrae are from. Are you sure it's a fossil? The only fossiliferous site I know in east London (or Greater London at all for that matter) is Abbey Wood. But I think this kind of find is unheard of there. I'm afraid I can't really help id, but I am curious. Your best bet is probably to contact the Natural History Museum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 These look modern. Certainly not Abbey Wood which is Eocene. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DinoFossilsUK Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Thanks for the help guys. You might be right, I haven't seen them in person so there's a good chance they're not fossilised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahnmut Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Well, it looks like old bones. So even if they are not fossil, we should be able to narrow down the possible IDs. Can your friend take more pictures? especially of the vertebral centra. With these dark bones good lighting could help to bring out details. Best Regards, J 1 1 Try to learn something about everything and everything about something Thomas Henry Huxley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahnmut Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 I see what made you think of dolphins, but after all bovid sacral vertebrae looks like a good fit. https://www.nps.gov/features/yell/slidefile/mammals/bison/Images/01672.jpg The problem with bovid bones is, you ( or at least I) cannot easily tell if its a cow from the 1950ies or a wild bovid from the last ice age. Even somewhere in between could be of some interest if there is an archeological context. Best regards, J 1 Try to learn something about everything and everything about something Thomas Henry Huxley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DinoFossilsUK Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Thank you J! Yes I thought bison/cow looked like a close fit. I don't know the person who contacted me but I have a feeling the bones come from a building site, and they're not being very forthcoming when it comes to the exact location they were found. They originally contacted me wondering if they were dinosaur bones. But they seem happy with the ID of mammal - I said it's very difficult to know if they're modern or fossilised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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