Prehistoric Bison???

[Finder76]

Could someone please tell me if this a Prehistoric Bison bone? I found this above ground in Northeast Georgia. I can't remember the measurements & I have stored it at a safe place. Opinions are welcome!

Thank you.

 

[digit]

The problem with bison bones/teeth is that they are quite similar to modern cow. This bone has the proximal and distal ends missing which will likely make it more difficult to differentiate. @Harry Pristis has a lot of experience with bison bones and may be able to weigh in with an opinion.

 

With bones that appear relatively modern there is a test that can be done to determine if it is mineralized or modern. During mineralization (fossilization) the cartilage network in bone decays and minerals replace the openings left by the loss of cartilage. This tends to make mineralized bone heavier and denser than modern bone. The loss of cartilage (a protein) is relatively easy to test with a flame. If you have a lighter (or one of those elongated stick lighters used for lighting stoves, water heaters, charcoal grills or candles) you can pass the flame under your specimen briefly and repeatedly till you heat up a section of it. If you smell a rather disgusting smell (like burning hair) then there is still collagen protein in this item and it would be more modern. Modern bone will tend to singe and turn darker as well while doing this. If the item gets hot but there is no detectable yucky smell then it is more likely the collagen is gone and replaced with minerals making it more likely it is older and mineralized. I don't like using candle flames for this test as they often have an odor of their own and often leave a black soot on the specimen.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Shellseeker]

2 hours ago, Finder76 said:

Could someone please tell me if this a Prehistoric Bison bone? I found this above ground in Northeast Georgia. I can't remember the measurements & I have stored it at a safe place. Opinions are welcome!

Welcome to TFF, a good place for questions like yours. As Ken indicates , it is complicated. I think the bone may be a femur, possibly bison,  but also modern cow and even horse..

Here is a thread that may be interesting.