Fossil or modern bone? (Calvert Cliffs, MD)

[TRexEliot]

When I tap this with metal tweezers, it feels at least partially mineralized, but it has also changed color to a chalkier, lighter tone since it dried, which leads me to think it can't be fully mineralized. Would this be the case with a very young fossil (say Pleistocene)? Is there any Pleistocene material at calvert cliffs?

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Flame test. 

Hold a flame to it. 

If it burns, or smells like burnt hair, it's modern. 

No burn or smell = fossil. 

[TRexEliot]

1 hour ago, Fossildude19 said:

Flame test. 

Hold a flame to it. 

If it burns, or smells like burnt hair, it's modern. 

No burn or smell = fossil. 

Thanks! Is it possible for a bone to be only partially mineralized if it is a fairly recent fossil (say ~10,000 years old)?

[bthemoose]

Fossilized bones from the cliffs aren’t necessarily dark in color. Here are some fossilized cetacean vertebrae I’ve found there for example.

 

[TRexEliot]

54 minutes ago, bthemoose said:

Fossilized bones from the cliffs aren’t necessarily dark in color. Here are some fossilized cetacean vertebrae I’ve found there for example.

 

The main thing that made me skeptical was the fact that the bone dried to this color very gradually over more than a day, which in my experience is pretty unusual for fossils and very common for bone. Everything else about it feels mineralized though. Haven't been able to get conclusive results on the burn test, since I only have matches and the smell of burning match makes it hard to smell if there's anything else.