Mystery fossil from the Woodbine formation of North Texas

[Brad84]

Hi guys and gals! I found this mystery fossil a few years ago and the people I spoke to at SMU and the Perot are not sure as to what it is. I thought I throw it out here and see what opinions you all might have. Thanks for taking the time to look and try to help.

 

Woodbine Formation : 95-98mya

North Texas

[Lone Hunter]

Was it confirmed to be bone or something else or is that part of mystery?

[Brad84]

It’s for sure bone. The mystery is to what. We at first thought perhaps somthing like this ( pic below) but it’s thicker than you would expect for one of them. Then we thought perhaps a chevron but it’s very thin at the split and sure looks to be a lower jar but no tooth sockets. I have been hunting this formation for 20 plus years and found some amazing stuff but this is a mystery. 

[JohnJ]

36 minutes ago, Brad84 said:

We at first thought perhaps somthing like this ( pic below)

 

I think the morphology supports some variety of pterosaur.  Super discovery, Brad!

[Brad84]

32 minutes ago, JohnJ said:

 

I think the morphology supports some variety of pterosaur.  Super discovery, Brad!

Thanks John! The only problem is it is much more robust than pterosaurs that have been studied. The front part that shows the two together is pretty robust in the connection part. They do have an edge showing it’s not broken on the complete side. I can’t help but see the connection points at the end for it to be a jaw.

[Troodon]

It does have n appearance of a chevron.  What do you mean it looked to thin at the split to be one.

[Brad84]

What I mean it that it is much thinner going to the connection spot compared to what you would think a chevron would be. It stays thin and flat all the way to where they fuse together. Where they come together it’s more robust. The other odd thing is the  continued deep groove going down the middle. Hopefully this will show you what I’m talking about. Remember, I’m just an amateur 

3 hours ago, Troodon said:

It does have n appearance of a chevron.  What do you mean it looked to thin at the split to be one.

so I have no clue lol.

[Troodon]

Thanks have a better picture of it but not any closer to an ID with those two grooves on opposite sides

[Brad84]

13 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Thanks have a better picture of it but not any closer to an ID with those two grooves on opposite sides

Thanks for looking. Now you see why it’s a mystery… lol

[JohnJ]

It seems too strangely out of proportion and balance to be a vertebral process.  ...Can't think of a Woodbine formation animal with such a tall vertebra....

[Brad84]

4 hours ago, JohnJ said:

It seems too strangely out of proportion and balance to be a vertebral process.  ...Can't think of a Woodbine formation animal with such a tall vertebra....

Well there are plenty with large vertebrae for sure! Check out the Protohadro vert I found at the same site….

[Troodon]

[Brad84]

@Troodon I have yet another mystery fossil I found a few years ago. After trying to figure out what element it may be I came to the conclusion it could be a sternal plate to Protohadro. I came to this conclusion but the triangle cross section and the blade but most of the blade is missing . It was based off the description I found in the Hadrosaurs Book. I contacted some people and showed them at the Perot and SMU and many feel I could be right and if so this would be the only one ever found. What are your thoughts on it?

[Lone Hunter]

I came to a conclusion, where your hunting in Woodbine is much better than where I hunt in Woodbine 

[JohnJ]

7 hours ago, Brad84 said:

Well there are plenty with large vertebrae for sure! Check out the Protohadro vert I found at the same site….

 

 

 

Large is one thing...tall and thin are another.

 

Exceptional find, but nowhere near as gracile as your other find.  

[Brad84]

33 minutes ago, JohnJ said:

 

Large is one thing...tall and thin are another.

 

Exceptional find, but nowhere near as gracile as your other find.  

@JohnJ You are correct on this statement. Keep in mind the chevron I’ve the odd y shaped bone one the bottom of vertebrae so it is different than the neural spine . It still doesn’t fit that box to me with the odd grooves but again I’m no expert!

[Brad84]

Lol stupid phone … it’s suppose to say that it is on the bottom of the vertebrae not I’ve lol

[JohnJ]

Being familiar with mosasaurs, I had already considered lower chevrons.  Still, it seems if your find was a tail, lower chevron, it would easily be snapped in real life.  It is simpler for me to imagine the thinner portions reinforced with strong jaw muscles.  Like you, I would defer to the specialists that can present better evidence.

[Troodon]

Wow another nice find.  Well, if those two intuitions believe it's a possible sternal plate who am I to say it's not.  The ones I'm familiar in the Hell Creek have more of the shaft on the distal end and have a more flattish flange on the proximal end so they look a bit different.  I looked at some earlier species and those seemed to more fall in line with what you have.   So, I'll agree with you that it's a possible sternal plate.   Boy you have quite a location for this material.   Keep working and you will have the most complete Protohadros around.