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Inner Ear Bone (Marine Mammal?)


tortuga

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Hi!

I found this on the beach of a freshwater lake in Uruguay that has in the past been part of the pacific ocean. I think it is an inner ear bone of some marine mammal, but I don't know from how long ago or from what kind of animal. I'm sorry that there's no scale, but it's an inch and a half long, one inch wide and on average about 1cm thick and the holes are about 2mm diameter). Can anyone help?? I can give more information about the location if it would be useful.

Thanks!!

post-13587-0-63501200-1383164244_thumb.jpgpost-13587-0-75619600-1383164248_thumb.jpgpost-13587-0-96494000-1383164252_thumb.jpgpost-13587-0-00436900-1383164257_thumb.jpgpost-13587-0-89692400-1383164240_thumb.jpg

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In response to the 'just a rock comments' - having sent photos of this fossil to my cousin (a geologist doing his phd) he said the same, but I then sent him the 'just a rock' and he agrees it is a fossil, as do two of his lecturers (palaeontologists at the university of Oxford) so perhaps it is not very clear how 'fossily' it is in photos... My reasons for posting it here are to identify from what kind of animal it comes, so perhaps you could trust the people who have seen and handled it in real life and tell me what it looks like from the shape if you actually know?

Thanks!!

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Tortuga -

I think you are right that this is from the inner ear of some type of mammal. You should send a message to Fossil Forum member "Boesse". He knows marine mammals and should be able to tell you what you have.

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The interior structure seen in the second photo is interesting but I'm still not seeing this as an ear bone, I could see how this "object" could be mistaken as a marine mammal periotic. Here are examples of both dolphin and small whale periotic.

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac342/Steven_Ferguson/image_zps01c11ddc.jpg

http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac342/Steven_Ferguson/image_zps4d86ead9.jpg

Could you please provide the geological information for the location where this was found.

gallery_17_41_9178.jpg
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It was found on one of the shores of Laguna Negra in Uruguay (exact location here: http://goo.gl/maps/A0LKc (point A)). My cousin told me "The, admittedly not very detailed, geological map I've found of the area suggests that most of the rock is Quarternary in age (i.e. 3 million years old or younger) which would make the idea that the fossil originally came from the Atlantic (given how close the ocean is) fairly credible." The surface rocks there now are quartz and something more mud-based (?) that breaks / flakes easily in flat pieces and the two are stratified vertically together. I've also put a picture of the shore. Hope this helps :)

1233346_10151779823854523_1994562081_n.j

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I'm not seeing a fossil ear bone here at all - it appears to be a quartz pebble with holes and inclusions, some of which have surface features that suggest they might have been invertebrate fossils - perhaps crinoid fragments?

I will of course defer to Bobby when he gets back - he's leaving SVP and probably returning to New Zealand, and likely won't check here for a few days.

Rich

The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence".

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