Two Unusual Bones

[Shellseeker]

I know that it is colder up North, but it was cold down here for a fossil hunter and getting even colder tomorrow. -- Yesterday it was supposed to be just shy of 80 degrees, but with clouds covering the sun most of the day, a stiff breeze, and water temps in the low 70s, I was very pleased I had a thermos of coffee and a wetsuit on. Tomorrow, high temperature is in the low 60s.

I found a small but undisturbed spot, picked up a number of small megs, some very nice dillo osteoderms, a 5 plate section of mammoth and a number of odd looking bones.

Here are 2 of them.

EDITED: Fossil is 4.5x1.5x.75 inches

Look at the detail -- almost like blood vessel groves I have seen in sloth claws.

Added 2nd bone in next post due to total size

Edited November 20, 2014 by Shellseeker

[sixgill pete]

Sounds cold for Florida Chris. Here in eastern NC, not out of the 30's today and tomorrow, high teens tonight. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Shellseeker]

Here is the 2nd bone:

Lots of holes and sharp angles makes me think of skull material. Are there any mammals besides hosenose which have this "lightened" bone material?

Thanks for any/all comments. SS

[jpc]

Time out, shellseeker. You used the words 'cold' and '80 degrees' in the same sentence without a 'not' in there. I call tropical foul. We are warming up into the high 20's. There. see I did it too, only the other way around.

The first one seems to have soft shelled turtle pattern on it.

[Harry Pristis]

Overall, it doesn't look like turtle. Maybe it's the interior cortex surface of a long bone. The irregularities would be what's left after the trabecular bone is ground down.

[Shellseeker]

jpc,

I grew up in Ct and lower Vermont so I dimly recall what frigid really means. I have been in Texas/Florida since the late 80s so my perceptions are warped and the fat cells in my skin have shrunk. I understand that there might be some issues hunting in Wyoming rivers in November even with a wet suit.

I have seen turtle that looks similar, but the rest is bone. A couple of years back I found a section of gator jaw/skull that I thought had this pattern but have failed to find a photo of it.

On the 2nd photo, I am once again unsure whether skull or jaw segment.

Harry, certainly I have found some odd interiors of long bones, but this pattern is fairly unique. I have only seen it once or twice before and the surface is not "river worn". It is pretty crisp under magnification.

[Plax]

looks like a dense section of bone with the porous section worn off (as far as the texture). If it was whole there would have been more porous bone coming away from the textured portion. Have no idea what animal

[Shellseeker]

Do not know if it helps, but here is another bone, found a couple of years back which seems to have similar pattern although the maze is "expanded". Only 2 variations on this that I have ever seen.

I just took this photo, and the fossil came out of the river 2 years back -- the shine does not fade.

[Plax]

that looks like croc ornamentation? am going to quit commenting on this one as am out of my league......

[Sacha]

That pattern looks like alligator. That surface is the bone's exterior surface that is closest to the skin. It's the same pattern found on alligator osteoderms.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Sacha

[Auspex]

That pattern looks like alligator. That surface is the bone's exterior surface that is closest to the skin. It's the same pattern found on alligator osteoderms.

Indeed it is!

[Harry Pristis]

The first mystery bone appears to be too thick to be gator. There are no 'gator bones other than the cranial bones that come close to that thickness of cortex bone. You can't get proportional length with these rather chunky bones.

I still believe that this is a sliver of an elephant (sensu lato) limb bone. As for the pattern, I've already suggested that this is remnant of trabecular bone.

Here is an adult 'gator maxilla. The thickness of the bone varies from 2mm to 8.5mm, depending on the place you measure -- the bone is full of channels and sinuses.

For comparison:

[Shellseeker]

Thanks Harry, This fossil is my only example of trabecular bone.

Great picture of a gator jaw that I'll save for reference. I have updated the photo post with size.