crchamb Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Hi all, I came across the site while researching an object I recently stumbled upon. Since my research didn't result in much useful info, posting here is my next step. I sincerely hope I'm not wasting anyone's time. Anyway, I found this in a creek bed in the woods behind my house (Alton, IL - just east of St. Louis). It was sitting loose in a pool of water. Not sure if it's a fossil or something more ordinary. To a layman like myself, it looks like a tooth (slightly over an inch long). What threw me off is the weight and texture. It's very light (feels like it could be hollow) and the texture feels like a very hard wood. It does not feel "stone-ish", though it is rather cold to the touch. It looks smooth and worn. There appears to be three ridges running the vertical length of the object. There's a notch on the top surface with a ridge running through the middle of it (this is perhaps the most noticeable feature as it looks very symmetrical). I've attached some pictures that will hopefully help. They aren't the best so if need be I can try to locate a better camera. Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Claw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seagyfree Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Hoof core most likely deer----Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crchamb Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 Hoof core most likely deer----Tom Google image search seems to agree and there is very heavy deer traffic along the creek. Darn. The kid in me got it's hopes up! Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaier Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Tap it on glass or on a china cup. If it goes "tink", it's petrified. If it goes "tonk", it's still bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpevahouse Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Thart's without a doubt, a deer hoof (one side). I have numerous earlier hoof fossils, 30 million years earlier, but they look the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 28, 2014 Share Posted September 28, 2014 Nice hoof core. Aging it will be hard, as it is from an extant species, but it could date from any time after the last glaciation. Some soils and rivers can put a lot of color in a bone in a surprisingly short time, but your find does have a rich patina. BTW, questions are our life's blood, and never a waste of time "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...
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