SoreBack Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Hello, We found this in a Cretaceous New Jersey stream today. It was on a gravel bar, not in formation. It is definitely fossilized. Thanks in Advance, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpevahouse Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 (edited) Fossil bone fragments can be the most difficult to ID using a photograph. There are so many variables that without close examination of the specimen it can very difficult to discern whether the specimen is bone or a rock that looks like a bone. Edited September 16, 2014 by jpevahouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoreBack Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Here are few close ups that I think show the actual surface structure as well as canals. I know it's difficult to tell from a fragment but I was hoping that some type of ID could be made. The stream where this came from is loaded with concretions, particularly where I found this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squali Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 I agree it is bone and the pores look reptilian. It's hard to remember why you drained the swamp when your surrounded by alligators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpevahouse Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 (edited) Yep, sure looks like bone. Additional photos help. A bone that size found in Monmouth County, Cretaceous deposit would likely be mosasaur. Edited September 14, 2014 by jpevahouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 My impression is of a deer long bone. If pressed, I might make a very low-confidence guess of deer tibia. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoreBack Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Is the degree of fossilization dependent on age? This bone is dense and rock like and does not have the feeling of fragility that I've felt in some other pieces of fossil bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 My very first reaction was also mosasaur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njfossilhunter Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Its a Splenial ... A portion of a Mosasaur jaw....I posted a ID photo on your post in the trip section of this find. I will post it here. 2 TonyThe Brooks Are Like A Box Of Chocolates,,,, You Never Know What You'll Find. I Told You I Don't Have Alzheimer's.....I Have Sometimers. Some Times I Remember And Some Times I Forget.... I Mostly Forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoreBack Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Thank you njfossilhunter and all those who responded! I did a search on Mosasaur splenial bone and I believe you nailed it. Remind me never to play paleontology Trivial Pursuit against any of you folks! Thanks and Happy Collecting, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpevahouse Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 (edited) Another example of the difficulty of identifying fossils long distance. However, by factoring in size, mineralization and the most likely fossil bone to find in that location I agree with njfossihunter. Edited September 15, 2014 by jpevahouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njfossilhunter Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) Here are two pictures of my speicmen that was ID by Dave Parrish Edited September 16, 2014 by njfossilhunter TonyThe Brooks Are Like A Box Of Chocolates,,,, You Never Know What You'll Find. I Told You I Don't Have Alzheimer's.....I Have Sometimers. Some Times I Remember And Some Times I Forget.... I Mostly Forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoreBack Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 There is a definite similarity between the two specimens. My wife and I are going to try to see Dr. Parris to show him some horse material and I'll bring this bone as well as some other bones that we've found in the Eocene/Miocene. Thank you for posting this photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non-remanié Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I can understand Harry's impression, but I agree with the mosasaur ID, especially after the close-ups. I have a similar piece or two that I thought was mosasaur, but never had a precise bone ID. If mine are also splenials, that seems to make splenials not too uncommon. I wonder if there could be a reason that splenials would be more common than other skull elements in NJ? ---Wie Wasser schleift den Stein, wir steigen und fallen--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njfossilhunter Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 There is a definite similarity between the two specimens. My wife and I are going to try to see Dr. Parris to show him some horse material and I'll bring this bone as well as some other bones that we've found in the Eocene/Miocene. Thank you for posting this photo. Your welcome.....Dave loves seeing peoples finds....just give him a call first because he use to take the month of september off.... I collected a lot of Eocene and Miocence fossils from both NJ and Virgina and would love to see what you have...If you would like you can PM me with some photo. TonyThe Brooks Are Like A Box Of Chocolates,,,, You Never Know What You'll Find. I Told You I Don't Have Alzheimer's.....I Have Sometimers. Some Times I Remember And Some Times I Forget.... I Mostly Forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoreBack Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 I read that the splenial was thought to be a sort of reinforcing bone that acted as a splint for the dentary bones if they were broken during feeding or fighting. Maybe these bones, given their presumed function, are denser than other bones and simply fossilized more readily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njfossilhunter Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) I can understand Harry's impression, but I agree with the mosasaur ID, especially after the close-ups. I have a similar piece or two that I thought was mosasaur, but never had a precise bone ID. If mine are also splenials, that seems to make splenials not too uncommon. I wonder if there could be a reason that splenials would be more common than other skull elements in NJ? It might be that its a small section from the jaw that needs to be more dense because of the way the jaw section works to swallow its prey ,,,like a snake does,,,making it less likelly to brake apart then the rest of the jaw or skull elements that needs to be lighter in weight...plus most fossils that are found in NJ brooks come out of the rework layers and have been tossed around for thousands of years. Edited September 16, 2014 by njfossilhunter TonyThe Brooks Are Like A Box Of Chocolates,,,, You Never Know What You'll Find. I Told You I Don't Have Alzheimer's.....I Have Sometimers. Some Times I Remember And Some Times I Forget.... I Mostly Forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 For comparison: 1 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpevahouse Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) Good point njfossilhunter makes about South Jersey deposits. Cretaceous strata have been eroded into and displaced many times in some areas, particularly South Jersey during the glacial and post glacial era. Edited September 16, 2014 by jpevahouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 This looks more like an angular based off of Harry’s picture. “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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