diabeticwolf Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 I was looking among the river rock that surrounds our pond, when I noticed this specimen. It is NOT a rock, I can tell by the density and the spongy texture. It reminds me of the end of bone in either the arm or leg. It is less than 2 inches and weighs approx. 0.5 oz (according to my food scale). The spongy look of the specimen highly suggests some sort of bone fragment. I'm not looking for a full-on identification of the animal it came from. i'm just curious to know if it is a bone fragment. I washed the specimen to make sure that it is an older fossil/bone, and not just a bone covered in dirt. NONE of the dark coloring washed away; it all stayed. So it is an older specimen, and not a young bone covered in dirt. Unfortunately I do not know the origin of this specimen, since it was among the river rock we got to put around the pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Yes indeed! "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...
diabeticwolf Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Yes indeed! Should I take it to a local paleontologist or museum for identification/suggestions? I am very curious of the specimen; I just wish I knew where it came from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Well, a fragment like this, with no diagnostic form and no known origin will be tough to do much with... Would you settle for "mammal"? "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...
diabeticwolf Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Well, a fragment like this, with no diagnostic form and no known origin will be tough to do much with... Would you settle for "mammal"? I just wasn't sure if they could say if it's a leg bone, knee, or something else; or if the size would be any indication to be able to narrow it down. I know the museum has quite a few horse fossils, although I guess they couldn't truly narrow it down if the origin isn't even known. I'm just really curious about the specimen, though I guess I need to just slow it down and recognize the limited possibility for ID. You believe it to be of mammalian origin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Are the two opposing 'ends' I've marked smooth? If so, and given the large trabecular mesh, I could maybe make a case for a banged-up vertebral centrum. Working out the three-D from two-D images leave a lot of room for error, though. "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...
diabeticwolf Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Are the two opposing 'ends' I've marked smooth? ~.jpg If so, and given the large trabecular mesh, I could maybe make a case for a banged-up vertebral centrum. Working out the three-D from two-D images leave a lot of room for error, though. Here's all the shots I got of the specimen. The forum won't upload all the photos individually, due to the size of some of the images. If you want a bigger version of one of the images in the collage, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticwolf Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 These photos have been taken with my ipod, and not with my good camera. If I had a macro lens, I could get better close-up images. I may be able to get a 3D image if I use a certain app on my ipod, though I am unsure how I'd share it. Can a video of all angles be uploaded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Good job. I think now that it is a chunk broken off the end of a mammal long bone. "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...
diabeticwolf Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 Good job. I think now that it is a chunk broken off the end of a mammal long bone. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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