Small Predator Astragalus

[Shellseeker]

I went hunting yesterday and after a week off.  Summer hunting is different, 98% of the Peace River is way too deep to hunt without scuba equipment. The Mosquitos swarm you, more in the woods, but also when you are in the river. The Results are generally not up to in season standards.  I tend to find some different fossils on a summer hunting trip and this fit that pattern. Top right are tilly bones, more than normal. Lower left has some ray mouth plates not broken into single or half single teeth.

That is a juvenile dugong vert, the best I have found at this size. A sawfish rostral tooth under it, and also a fragment of a giant Armadillo jaw. There are a few items that I kept because they are different from what I normally see.

Late in the day, I found a small (20 mm) astragulas but I did not know which predator.

 

A couple of closeups on the Astragalus.  At this size we are  thinking about coyote, otter, raccoon, bobcat...

 

 

Here is a comparison to Bobcat that makes me think I am in the right ballpark,  but I need some of TFF members who have found and identified predator Astragalus fossils to tell me what they think...   Thanks

[Harry Pristis]

I'm thinkin' Procyon, Jack.  I don't have an example to show you.  It bears some resemblance to Aenocyon, but is too small.

[Shellseeker]

4 hours ago, Harry Pristis said:

I'm thinkin' Procyon, Jack.  I don't have an example to show you.  It bears some resemblance to Aenocyon, but is too small.

Thanks Harry.

I had the feeling that I was digging in earlier gravel, but being the peace river, anything can float in...  Even on the internet, I had difficulty getting a crisp photo of a Procyon astragalus.  I am not very knowledgeable about the differentiating factors beyond size..