sixgill pete Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I found this today in an Eastern NC Quarry. Early Oligocene. I believe it is part of a turtle shell, but not positive. I have never seen one like it. Hoping it can be ID'd down to species because of the "spikes". Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Sea turtle plastron fragment. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) It may be a "softshell" turtle. I have seen trionychids from the Cretaceous with similar spurs. ...or a sea turtle (posted without reading other responses)... ...or a softshell like Charlie already said. Edited August 16, 2014 by PFOOLEY "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 LOL. That's a nice size piece of turtle shell! Nice find Don. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 I am leaning towards Sea Turtle as Rich Posted. I am wondering, is there a possibiility of ID'ing this more positively? Does anyone know of a paper or resource on fossil turtle, especially Oligocene? Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I've got a lot of turtle material of beach finds from Venice, Florida, but never seen spikes that big. But searching florida fossil turtle stuff might give leads... With spikes like that I'm going to guess it is a sea turtle because a tortise or freshwater turtle would probably find those things to be a hinderance to getting through obstructions like branches and roots, etc. I think those spikes are to discourage the megalodons and his friends. Here's a site with fossil florida turtle, but doesn't have sea turtle. http://www.empireoftheturtle.com/fossil.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I've got a lot of turtle material of beach finds from Venice, Florida, but never seen spikes that big. But searching florida fossil turtle stuff might give leads... With spikes like that I'm going to guess it is a sea turtle because a tortise or freshwater turtle would probably find those things to be a hinderance to getting through obstructions like branches and roots, etc. I think those spikes are to discourage the megalodons and his friends. Here's a site with fossil florida turtle, but doesn't have sea turtle. http://www.empireoftheturtle.com/fossil.htm The "spikes" do not protrude from the turtle. They act more like a internal building frame like ribs. I've found many softshell turtle fragments. And softshell turtles are one of the biggest turtles in North America. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 The outer side of this hasn't been shown in a photo yet. There may be some diagnostic patterns to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 I just realized I did not post an outer side photo. Heading to town right now, will add one later. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 As Rich suggests, it is from the plasteron of a sea turtle. This image is of a Cretaceous species, but will serve to show the structure: 1 "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Thanks for adding that image Auspex. It sheds more light onto things for me. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) I think Robert Weems has published on Oligocene sea turtles from the eastern US. A bit of Google should reveal a reference. Edited August 16, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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