Jackie Woollam Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Hello again! I'm a complete newbie here so any help would be gratefully received. I've recently been given a small collection of bones that belonged to a neighbour of my parents here in the UK. He was a fossil collector who recently passed away. The largest bone has been identified as a woolly rhino femur but I'm struggling with the others. I'm wondering if this is a section of vertebrae but from what I really don't know.! Apologies for the background. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahnmut Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Hello Jackie Woollam and welcome to the forum! these are indeed vertebrae. Could you give us a sideview? I wonder if they are fused anantomically or only "glued" together by fossilization or preparation. Best Regards J Try to learn something about everything and everything about something Thomas Henry Huxley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDiggs Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Mahnmut said: Hello Jackie Woollam and welcome to the forum! these are indeed vertebrae. Could you give us a sideview? I wonder if they are fused anantomically or only "glued" together by fossilization or preparation. Best Regards J 1 hour ago, Jackie Woollam said: I believe the OP provided a side view with this photo and from this angle it looks like they're fused anatomically rather than through preparation. For that reason I was thinking it might be three sacral vertebrae, but from what is the question I suppose. this thread and member photo will give you an idea of where my mind is headed but I'm not satisfied I'm even in the ball park. Pleistocene mammals are my primary interest so I think I tend to see them in everything. Edited January 9, 2023 by CDiggs grammar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Woollam Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 Wow! That's amazing! You guys are incredibly knowledgeable. I really wish that I knew more about them. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahnmut Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) Right CDiggs, I overlooked that on. Except for sacral vertebrae and birds (which I think we can exclude here) whale neck vertebrae come to mind, they can be fused to very different degrees. @Boesse may know in that case. Best Regards, J Edited January 9, 2023 by Mahnmut spelling 1 Try to learn something about everything and everything about something Thomas Henry Huxley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 12 minutes ago, Mahnmut said: Right CDiggs, I overlooked that on. Except for sacral vertebrae and birds (which I think we can exclude here) whale neck vertebrae come to mind, they can be fused to very different degrees. @Boesse may know in that case. Best Regards, J These are definitely sacral vertebrae from a large land mammal. Not quite right for fused cervical vertebrae of a cetacean - generally the divisions between centra are not apparent and the cervicals are very, very flattened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahnmut Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Thanks for that quick answer, the low degree of tapering made me wonder. Best Regards, J Try to learn something about everything and everything about something Thomas Henry Huxley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 I can only agree... large mammal sacrum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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