North Carolina Dinosaur or Mosasaur Vertebra or phalanges?

[fossil_lover_2277]

Hi, I recently found a bone that looks like either a vertebra or a phalanges. The bone is from eastern North Carolina, legally collected from public land, and comes out of either the Cretaceous Tar Heel or Bladen formations. Both marine and freshwater organisms as well as dinosaurs are known to be found from the general area. The bone does not look like it comes from a turtle or crocodile, but I could be wrong. Is it a dinosaur or mosasaur bone, or something else? And no, there is no way this bone is Cenozoic. Thanks!

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Lando_Calrissian_4tw

[Haravex]

regardless of what it it I say very nice find, I suspect it to be a vertebrae, now for me I feel its too worn down to suggest any type of dinosaur however there are fantastic marine reptile collectors here who know much more than me and might be able to help.

[fossil_lover_2277]

18 minutes ago, Haravex said:

regardless of what it it I say very nice find, I suspect it to be a vertebrae, now for me I feel its too worn down to suggest any type of dinosaur however there are fantastic marine reptile collectors here who know much more than me and might be able to help.

thanks, it is a tough one because it’s so worn down. The site it’s from is weird because although it’s a nearshore marine setting, both mosasaurs and dinosaurs are found there relatively often, so mosasaur is definitely reasonable. Thanks for the input, I appreciate help!

Edited October 7, 2021 by Lando_Calrissian_4tw

[Haravex]

I would lean more towards marine reptile.

[fossil_lover_2277]

13 minutes ago, Haravex said:

I would lean more towards marine reptile.

I guess my question is what about the morphology of it suggests it’s a marine reptile? I honestly don’t care one way or the other whether it’s a mosasaur or dinosaur, I think either are super cool, but I am curious so as I can know how to ID these things in the future

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

The bone appears to be pachyosteosclerotic, so marine reptile does seem a reasonable assumption. I'm not familiar with the specific ages of the formations this may have come from, but assume that mosasaur would be an option based on OP's own statement. Not sure about plesiosaur or pliosaur. But in any case, this doesn't look like a phalanx: those should be much more waisted than is this bone - usually a lot more dorsoventrally compressed too. I'm inclined to call this a vertebra - likely a caudal for its size (and what looks like it could be the articulation for a chevron, top right in the second photograph) - but with the anterior and posterior surfaces of the centrum worn off, it's hard to say with any measure of certainty that this would be mosasaur. Still, this seems the most likely option, the more if the chevron articulation surface is indeed what I think it is...

 

Nice find!

Edited October 7, 2021 by pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon

[Haravex]

14 minutes ago, Lando_Calrissian_4tw said:

I guess my question is what about the morphology of it suggests it’s a marine reptile? I honestly don’t care one way or the other whether it’s a mosasaur or dinosaur, I think either are super cool, but I am curious so as I can know how to ID these things in the future

You will laugh if I tell you it just doesn't feel like dinosaur 

[fossil_lover_2277]

1 hour ago, Haravex said:

You will laugh if I tell you it just doesn't feel like dinosaur 

Lol I mean the odds are with you on that, substantially more mosasaur material is pulled out of the site the dinosaur material, can’t argue you there. Just wish there was a definitive answer to what it is..

[fossil_lover_2277]

1 hour ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

The bone appears to be pachyosteosclerotic, so marine reptile does seem a reasonable assumption. I'm not familiar with the specific ages of the formations this may have come from, but assume that mosasaur would be an option based on OP's own statement. Not sure about plesiosaur or pliosaur. But in any case, this doesn't look like a phalanx: those should be much more waisted than is this bone - usually a lot more dorsoventrally compressed too. I'm inclined to call this a vertebra - likely a caudal for its size (and what looks like it could be the articulation for a chevron, top right in the second photograph) - but with the anterior and posterior surfaces of the centrum worn off, it's hard to say with any measure of certainty that this would be mosasaur. Still, this seems the most likely option, the more if the chevron articulation surface is indeed what I think it is...

 

Nice find!

Thank you for the guidance here, that is extremely helpful!!! And thanks, finding the spot was oodles of work. Both online reading and exploring outside :p