Anders Jonasson Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 (edited) Hello. Needing help to ID this strange fossil. Found in a quarry i Scania, southern Sweden. Lowermost lower campanian. Sandy biocalcarenites. Nearshore enviroment. The quarry have produced a number of rare, still unidentified fossils both marine and terrestrial. Findings of mosasaurs, marine crocodylomorphs, aquatic birds, flying reptiles, bony fishes, sharks and also neaceratopsian dinosaurs have been made in the quarry. I have sent pictures of this fossil to a local expert at Lunds University but it´s still unidentified. The brown bone seems to end in a hard white beak but on both sides there are also a sharp thin triangular dark brown "tooth" somewhat like the side cusps on a shark tooth. The left one is missing. Greatful for any help Edited July 30, 2022 by Anders Jonasson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 It resembles a rhyncholite. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anders Jonasson Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, Al Dente said: It resembles a rhyncholite. That was on my mind also but what about the two thin dark brown "side cusps"? They seems hollow and to thin to work as cutting devices. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 Modern nautilus beaks have a white mineralized portion of the beak that is surrounded by a chitinous part of the jaw. I have a photo of one. I’ll try to find it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 Here are my photos of a modern Nautilus jaw. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anders Jonasson Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 1 minute ago, Al Dente said: Here are my photos of a modern Nautilus jaw. They do look alike. Thank You vey much! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 +1 for rhyncholite. Nice find. 1 Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 It is unusual for the organic matter to be preserved around a fossil rhyncholite. This might be something a paleontologist would be interested in studying. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anders Jonasson Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 38 minutes ago, TqB said: +1 for rhyncholite. Nice find. Just now, Al Dente said: It is unusual for the organic matter to be preserved around a fossil rhyncholite. This might be something a paleontologist would be interested in studying. Thank! Is it possible to determine if it the beak from an octopus, belemnite or a ammonite? Do You know an expert on cephalopods who might be interested whom I could contact? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 30, 2022 Share Posted July 30, 2022 54 minutes ago, Anders Jonasson said: Is it possible to determine if it the beak from an octopus, belemnite or a ammonite? Most likely a nautiloid. Octopus and belemnites don’t have calcite in their beaks. Some ammonites did but they were shaped differently. 56 minutes ago, Anders Jonasson said: Do You know an expert on cephalopods who might be interested whom I could contact? I can look up some recent papers on rhyncholites to see who is currently studying them. I can send you some info in a few days. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anders Jonasson Posted July 31, 2022 Author Share Posted July 31, 2022 10 hours ago, Al Dente said: Most likely a nautiloid. Octopus and belemnites don’t have calcite in their beaks. Some ammonites did but they were shaped differently. I can look up some recent papers on rhyncholites to see who is currently studying them. I can send you some info in a few days. Much appreciated :) Thanks for all the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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