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Help W/ Vertebrate Material From Cretaceous Texas


John S.

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I found a few pieces after the last monsoon here in North Texas. The first looks like it might have predatory marks. But I wanted to ask if anyone can name the second piece? Are those holes teeth sockets or something else? Thanks as always.

Late Cretaceous

Eagle Ford Group/ Atco Austin float material

85-92 mya

post-13580-0-11033600-1430156975_thumb.jpg

North Central Texas

Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation

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That bone looks very dense,,,So I'm thinking is a terrestrial in nature and possible Dino....Other then that I don't think it wiil be ID'ed any further.

Tony
The 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.




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Thanks for the input. So looks like predatory marks on both. Wonder if they are associated. Yes the long bone is very dense indeed.

North Central Texas

Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation

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I see cracks in the first bone, not tooth marks.

Just looked at the photo again.. are you looking at the horizontal lines that run the length of the bone? I think those are erosional features. The bone had started to erode back in the Cretaceous. It looks like the top layer of bone has spalled off in a rather irregular pattern. I would expect tooth marks to be more regular. Tooth marks will be smoother, in my experience.

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@jpc, I believe that he isn't talking about the scratch marks, he is talking about the three holes on the picture being teeth marks. Which I agree, it also appears that one of the teeth broke off inside. I would try to get it out!

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So are these pix all of one bone? I was under the assumption that the first post is a different bone than the others.

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they were found close by but I was mainly discussing the second bone(longer). Those 3 little holes. It does look like a tooth fragment broke off inside. I'll probly leave it. The teeth marks look like fish or reptile I believe.

North Central Texas

Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation

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post-423-0-18997000-1430231373_thumb.jpg

"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!

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Nice! So likely mosasaur chomp? The bone seems different than other mosasaur I have found. Maybe mos vs Dino. Who knows.

North Central Texas

Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation

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Very cool finds. Were you thinking the verticle lines in the first post were bite marks that run parallel?

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Second

Last

I think the pits in the second bone are not bite marks. I think they are foramina. They also seem to more evident on the more abraded end of the bone. If you can look at this under a microscope, I suspect the tiny piece stuck inside is just a bit of gravel. Most examples of Cretaceous bone that I've seen with "bite marks" exhibit different characteristics (which include fragmentation from crushing).

Your nice images show texture that suggest it could be turtle bone. LINK LINK LINK LINK

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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I was mainly discussing the second bone. Thanks for that great info John. Turtle would make lot of sense. So if it is foramina, that would be a fragment of vertebra?

North Central Texas

Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation

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I was mainly discussing the second bone. Thanks for that great info John. Turtle would make lot of sense. So if it is foramina, that would be a fragment of vertebra?

No, not part of a vertebra, in this specimen. Foramina occur in many different bones. Notice them in this turtle lower jaw.

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Just thinking out loud here. So foramina in bone can represent vascular channels, neural spaces, or tooth sockets. Three of them that close to each other would imply a jaw of some sort since any limb bone or rib wouldn't typically have that many so close together. The overall shape of the bone seems to be long and thin like a rib or limb bone or maybe a long spinous process. But I have never seen a jaw with the teeth arranged like that. Specifically it seems like the "sockets" are perpendicular to the thicker axis of the bone. I still think it looks like a bite mark, but I am eager to learn more.

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it also appears that one of the teeth broke off inside.

It could also be that a pebble has simply fallen into that hole and lodged itself inside. Not necessarily a tooth...

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Thank you for the responses. I seem to be finding a lot of mystery bones lately. Fun and frustrating at the same time. Hopefully when I take these to the experts in person we will learn more.

North Central Texas

Eagle Ford Group / Ozan Formation

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