Bone fragment

[garyc]

Here’s a chunk of crocogator I found on the Brazos River in SE Texas. It doesn’t look like the typical osteoderms that are found . I’m not sure if there’s enough here to identify a specific bone…

[Brandy Cole]

I'm the worst at telling the difference between alligator and other specimens, but could this be a softshell turtle piece instead?

[GPayton]

23 minutes ago, Brandy Cole said:

I'm the worst at telling the difference between alligator and other specimens, but could this be a softshell turtle piece instead?

I would think soft-shelled turtle too, but I'm leaning towards alligator because the bone is so thick and because the "dimples" are deeper than they would be on a turtle shell fragment. Unfortunately, that's about all I can determine. It does have the texture of an osteoderm and as far as I know the only other bones on an alligator that shared it would be some of the ones in the skull - @garyc maybe look into that? 

Edited September 27, 2022 by GPayton

[garyc]

To me the texture seems much more consistent with gator, like the osteoderms I’m familiar with.  I’m also wondering if it’s a cranial piece or maybe a broken vert. Does the interior of gator bones have this texture?

[Brandy Cole]

@garycI've only found two gator bones and they had vastly different texture.  For what it's worth, to me it looks like a thick piece from maybe a skull, but that's just a gut feeling.

[fossilus]

41 minutes ago, garyc said:

To me the texture seems much more consistent with gator, like the osteoderms I’m familiar with.  I’m also wondering if it’s a cranial piece or maybe a broken vert. Does the interior of gator bones have this texture?

 

I agree it looks like gator, but my gator verts (and leg bones) don't have that external texture like the osteoderms, or skull does.

I would vote for skull piece.

[Mahnmut]

Hi, 

I´d also say skull fragment.

The interior surface seems to be part of some cavity, the pattern seems to have midline symmetry, at least the roundish dimple.

without making a statement regarding croc or gator, may be the region labelled "8" here:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-photograph-showing-the-crocodile-skull-dorsal-view_fig3_282352576

Best Regards,

J

[garyc]

Thanks @Mahnmutgreat picture!