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Chi

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I found what looked to be a talon/claw or a beak on a lake Erie beach (Ohio side). Based on the fact that most of my fossils are aquatic in nature, I'm starting to lean towards a lower squid beak. Thoughts? The first pic is of the bottom view, then next two are variations of the side view and the last is the top view of it. I'm also open to suggestions on how to free it from its surroundings.

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Edited by Chi
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Welcome to the Forum. :) 

 

I don't think this is a squid beak.

This looks more like a partial shell bit, that has been heavily water worn. 

Not sure it is worth preparing it out of the matrix. :unsure: 

  • I Agree 2

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I agree with @Fossildude19, this looks like a heavily eroded partial shell. If you want to be even more sure of it, you can put this fossil in some household vinegar - if it fizzles, it is  likely made up of calcium carbonate. Most fossil bivalve's shells are made up of this material (there are exceptions, so if it does not fizzle this test is not conclusive), where as squid beaks are made up of mostly chitin, the main component in the exoskeletons of insects. There is also the possibility that the original shell left an external mold, which was filled in by a different mineral, so take this experiment with a grain of salt. 

 

If you want to practice your preparatory skills, you should look in the fossil preparation forum - there are quite a few excellent threads for manual prep. These are two of my favorites: 

A guide to manual prep tools, http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/110783-a-guide-to-manual-prep-tools/

Manual Preparation: A Novice Guide, http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/101716-manual-preparation-a-novice-guide/

 

I look forward to seeing more of your finds! :)

 

Edited by Mainefossils

The more I learn, the more I find that I know nothing. 

 

Regards, 

Asher 

 

 

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Thank you so much for the input. Unfortunately, most of my pieces are worn since they are beach finds. I have some potential teeth I'll post in the future.

 

Going to go get the vinegar and test. 

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