Unknown Fossil

[Mr. E]

Hello, I'm new here and this is my first post.

 

I found the fossil at work today laying in the gravel. I'm not sure if it came in on a dump truck load of gravel or was unearthed 4 years ago during the construction of the impoundment ponds. Regardless it was found in northeastern Oklahoma approximately 45 miles directly south of Tulsa. The only thing I can tell you about it other than what the pictures show is the smell. It had the smell of oil shale after I rinsed the dirt from it.

 

I tried to meet the requirements for photos but I have no ruler that measures in MM nor do I have a printer to print the printable one mentioned in another post. I did however have a Tritan digital caliper that I took measurements with and a laboratory balance that it was weighed with.

 

All measurements are taken at the longest, widest and thickest points.

Length:       63.38mm

Width:.        27.74mm

Thickness: 17.52mm

Weight:.      46.3571g

 

 

 

[Agent_Zigzag]

Greetings! 

 

I could not see very clear bone structure from the photo, and since I could not see the specimen with my own eyes, I could not give an accurate determination. The best I could say is this could be a fragment of a long bone (e.g. femur). 

[Rockwood]

This appears to be pachyostotic bone. That would likely indicate a rib from a dugong. 

[val horn]

I am sorry but I don’t see bone structure.  Right now all i am seeing is a flint pebble.  Can you show a close up picture of a eroded or broken area to illustrated bone

[Mr. E]

12 hours ago, val horn said:

I am sorry but I don’t see bone structure.  Right now all i am seeing is a flint pebble.  Can you show a close up picture of a eroded or broken area to illustrated bone

I hope these help. It's about as good as I can get with my phone. 

 

I'm used to finding crinoids, horn coral and various shell types around this area so this thing has me stumped.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Mr. E

[val horn]

i dont think it is bone.  I really dont know what you have found.  the surface texture is interesting--  but i dont know what you have.

[Rockwood]

I still lean bone, but I'm far from certain. Feeling a bit out on a limb here. Dugong usually draws a crowd. 

[Mr. E]

12 hours ago, Rockwood said:

I still lean bone, but I'm far from certain. Feeling a bit out on a limb here. Dugong usually draws a crowd. 

I'm not sure when or where dugong and their distant relatives first appeared but Oklahoma was covered by a sea from around 500 million years ago up until 80 million years ago. Would dugong fall into that period?

[Kane]

13 minutes ago, Mr. E said:

I'm not sure when or where dugong and their distant relatives first appeared but Oklahoma was covered by a sea from around 500 million years ago up until 80 million years ago. Would dugong fall into that period?

50 mya at the most.

[Mr. E]

I will submit pictures to the Sam Noble Museum in Oklahoma City later today and see if they can identify it. I will update the forum (if anyone wants to know?) when I get a response.

[Shellseeker]

18 hours ago, Mr. E said:

I will submit pictures to the Sam Noble Museum in Oklahoma City later today and see if they can identify it. I will update the forum (if anyone wants to know?) when I get a response.

Welcome to the forum. It is a great place for fossil hunter to share experience.

 

Normally, members are not shy in identifying a find as fossil or rock. There are few "I think it is a rock"  or "I don't think it is a fossil" which implies it is in a middle state of whether or not.

Curiosity is rampant in humans.  If you find out ,let us know.