Fin Lover Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 I found this vertebra in the Goose Creek area (near Summerville, SC). I thought concave on both ends meant bony fish, but this one doesn't look like other fish verts I've found personally or online. Any ideas? About 17mm at the widest/longest (not sure what you would call it) point. Thank you! Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClearLake Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 I don’t have a specific fish example in mind, but to me this looks like it could be a fish atlas (first vert behind the skull). It seems I have seen one that has that wide flared end attaching to the back of the skull. But I’ll be happy if someone has a more definitive idea about it. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemipristis Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 5 hours ago, ClearLake said: I don’t have a specific fish example in mind, but to me this looks like it could be a fish atlas (first vert behind the skull). It seems I have seen one that has that wide flared end attaching to the back of the skull. But I’ll be happy if someone has a more definitive idea about it. Agree w/atlas. Good call. Looks kind of “drummy” (to coin a phrase) 2 1 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' George Santayana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 I've found easily 30,000 nice bony fish vertebrae in processed matrix from the Eocene of Virginia, all donated or soon to be donated. I don't remember seeing a similar vertebra in the bunch. So I don't think that they are common as a fossil. Great find! I'll keep an eye out for one when I search the Eocene matrix from Virginia as I find 200+ bony fish vertebrae per week of searching. Marco Sr. 1 1 "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 5 minutes ago, MarcoSr said: I'll keep an eye out for one when I search the Eocene matrix from Virginia as I find 200+ per week of searching. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted December 4, 2022 Author Share Posted December 4, 2022 Thanks @ClearLake, my husband had the right concept, but he was thinking the tail end, which I didn't think was right because I have found hypural bones with the last vert attached. Thanks @hemipristis and @MarcoSr as well. 2 Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 11 hours ago, ClearLake said: looks like it could be a fish atlas (first vert behind the skull). Yup. Agreed. We see (quite literally) thousands upon thousands of fish vertebrae from the Montbrook fossil site (which was a freshwater river site). The first time I encountered one of these I was fully flummoxed. Richard Hulbert pulled some material from the modern comparative collection and cleared things up so it was a lesson learned that I won't forget. There can only be a single atlas and dozens to possibly hundreds of verts behind that so these oddly shaped verts are always in the minority. Cheers. -Ken 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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