Modern Bone or Fossil?

[BendMommy]

Hello!  New to the forum here as I have some young fossil enthusiasts at home. We just returned from a trip to E. Oregon where my kids were hunting for fossils in an area known for mammal fossils.  Can anyone tell me if they think this is a modern bone or a fossil?  It seems to have stone fused in the middle and feels slightly heavier than a regular animal bone.

 

 

[jpc]

This looks like a deer toe bone.  Looks modern but hard to tell from here.  (All the eastern Oregon fossil bones I have are black.)

[Mark Kmiecik]

I agree. Most probably modern deer 2nd phalanx.

[BendMommy]

Interesting, I didn’t realize the inside would be solid and smooth like that.  Thank you!!

[Slow Walker]

The wear and different colors makes me think newer. 

[Rockwood]

10 hours ago, BendMommy said:

It seems to have stone fused in the middle and feels slightly heavier than a regular animal bone.

I doubt there is a marrow cavity in these bones. It is most likely dense (cortical) bone. 

[Harry Pristis]

Are we seeing the same images?  I can see cancellous bone where there is high point wear.  The cortex is seriously eroded.

 

[Rockwood]

Can I try for dense cancellous bone ? 

[Oregon1955]

Bendmommy,

Welcome to the forum! 

You've already learned from some of the forum's experts that your find is a deer toe bone and could be fairly recent. Exactly how old a bone must be to be considered a fossil is kind of complicated and depends on a variety of factors. I have found a number of deer bones in eastern Oregon that are only 10,000 years old that are considered fossils. So... it depends on where it was found. There are many dry lake beds in eastern Oregon where 10,000-year-old fossil bones lie on top of the ground and some look very much like yours.

One easy way to tell if your find is old enough to be potentially considered a fossil is called the flame test. Using a Bic lighter or match, hold your find in the flame for a second or two then, give that bone a smell. If it smells awful like burnt hair, it's probably not a fossil.

Regardless, keep those kids looking for fossils and post your finds here on The Fossil Forum.

Mike 

Oregon1955