Possible Turtle Shell Fragments from Myrtle Beach

[csrlewis93]

These were all found on Myrtle Beach over the last few months and I was just wondering what they were (obviously). They look like fragments of turtle shell but I'm not completely sure. I realize I should've used a lighter more even-colored lighting/background, but I hope these pictures will suffice. Thanks for any input.

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

5.

 

6.

[GPayton]

I would say it's very likely that all of these are turtle shell fragments. The cross sections of the first and second fragment are exactly what I'd expect to see if it were turtle, and the flat surfaces with the linear grooves are another key indicator - those pieces were probably part of the plastron (the portion of the shell that covers the underside of the turtle).

Beyond just saying "turtle" it gets a little more difficult, however, I'm fairly certain that #3 is a heavily worn down fragment from a soft-shelled turtle. This means it's probably some species of Apalone or Trionyx. The dimpled surface that's characteristic of soft-shelled turtles is very eroded but still present. 

The sixth fragment is an entoplastron. This is another section of the plastron half of the shell. They're commonly referred to as "peace sign fossils" because of the grooves on their surface. You can just barely make them out on the first picture of the fragment if you were to flip it 180 degrees. 

Hope this helps! 

[Meganeura]

I can't go into details on the species/genus like @GPayton - but I can definitively say that they are turtle - look very similar to the multitudes I've found down here in Florida!

[csrlewis93]

I thought they could be I just wasn't 100% sure on a couple of them. Thanks for the replies @GPayton and @Meganeura!