Can Anyone Help Me Id This?

[whowat13]

Found this today in the Bone Valley formation today on a club trip...

I think it may be shark cartilage.

If anyone can support this, please let me know. I will post a wet photo later...

[whowat13]

Here's the wet picture...

-Bill

[obsessed1]

It looks like cartilage to me and with the pattern of the lines and shape of the cross section I'm thinking part of the rostrum of a saw shark possibly.

[shark57]

Definitely shark cartilage.

[old bones]

That's very exciting! What a great find

[Al Dente]

It is a piece of sawfish rostrum, possibly Pristis. Very nice find.

[lissa318]

Congrats!

[whowat13]

Oh yeah, the size on this is about 1 inch square by 1/4 inch thick.

-Bill

[MarcoSr]

Agree that it is definitely a piece of a sawfish rostrum. Really nice specimen. Very uncommon/rare to find as a fossil.

Marco Sr.

[whowat13]

Saw fish or Saw shark? A saw fish is actually a ray... Will someone clarify this for me?

-Bill

Edited January 26, 2014 by whowat13

[MarcoSr]

Your rostrum piece looks like Pristis which is sawfish. Pristis has a rostrum with a medial canal and a pair of lateral canals which matches your specimen. Pristiophorus which is a sawshark has only a medial canal in the rostrum. Anoxypristis, also a sawfish, has a medial canal and a second paired lateral canal. Your specimen would have to be damaged on both sides with the second paired lateral canals broken off to be Anoxypristis which doesn't seem likely looking at the cartilage pattern.

Marco Sr.

Edited January 26, 2014 by MarcoSr