Is this a fossil?

[TaterTexas]

My daughter found this while on a hike through a creek bed. The top of the bank was roughly 20ft high. Tom Green county, Texas. There were a couple of pieces of petrified wood in the same area. I've seen plenty of animal bones, it has that texture, but the shape is peculiar. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by TaterTexas
Added more photos

[Lone Hunter]

I think it's a hoof core but I could be wrong.

[TyrannosaurusRex]

Lone Hunter is correct, this is a modern hoof core from a deer. 

[TaterTexas]

Thank you both for the quick replies! I wasn't aware there was such a thing. 

 

Do yall have any advice on what to tell my 8yo daughter? Hahaha! The truth or let her believe she found a "dinosaur tooth"? 

[Lone Hunter]

Hmm I think she's old enough know the truth and start learning about fossils, there are fossil hoof cores also and it's good to be able to recognize them. 

[Rockwood]

Agreed. The last lesson children need more of is that adults are liars.

In life this bone is sheathed with a slipper shaped 'toenail'.

[grandpa]

Hello Tater and a warm welcome to the forum.  Regarding what you should tell Tater Tot, that is a clear choice.  Always tell the truth at the level that the Tot can understand and accept.  Should you once lie to your child and you get busted, you have lost your child's confidence and s/he will always wonder about other things you tell her/him.

[Ludwigia]

I think we already have enough misinformation in the internet. Get the point?

[Oxytropidoceras]

The technical term for is this bone "deer distal phalanx. ("distal deer toe bone" in plain

English). Go see It Does Not Look Like Deer ?. For some reason, a number of people have

them for sale on online where a bunch of pictures of them can be found by searching

for "deer distal phalanx".

 

Yours,

 

Paul H.

Edited January 30, 2022 by Oxytropidoceras
added missing words and corrected typo

[Family Fun]

Great advice by all, and IDing so quickly.

[Mark Kmiecik]

Dinosaurs had (maybe?) 60 teeth each on the average. Hoof cores are 4/per animal. Tell her hoof cores are even harder to find than dinosaur teeth.

[minnbuckeye]

20 hours ago, Lone Hunter said:

there are fossil hoof cores

A lesson to teach is how to tell a "modern" hoof core from a fossilized one. Do the burn test. If modern, you will smell it supposedly!!!!!

[Harry Pristis]

For comparison: