Mystery Peace River bone

[prem]

We found this well-worn bone in the Peace River several years ago. At the time, I chalked it up to being a very worn vertebra of some sort, but the flatness [edit: and thinness] of it gives me pause. It is about 3" x 2.5 " x 1", with a rather rectangular profile. As can be seen in the photos, the edges of the bone are very worn down and polished, showing cross-sectioning through the Haversian canals. On the top and bottom, the bone becomes extremely flat, which had led to my initial conclusion of it being some sort of spinal element.

Thanks, in advance, for any assistance.

---Prem

Edited January 22, 2016 by prem

[Carl]

Maybe a really weathered whale cervical? Cetaceans are found in the Peace, right?

[abyssunder]

Whale is good.

[Harry Pristis]

Nice images! What is the nature of the random ovals (four in the first image)? Are they filled burrows? Clam borings?

[Shellseeker]

Maybe a really weathered whale cervical? Cetaceans are found in the Peace, right?

I have hunted the Peace River intensively for 8 years and have never seen anything remotely like this in that period of time, -- not even an odd fragment of worn bone that has the same detailed matrix and consistency.

My gut tells me that it is not all that badly broken.. There are whales in the Peace River , mostly Kogiopsis sp and this could be cookie or vertebrae.

I also wonder about coral.. All in all, a very curious and unique find. I would send photos to the fossil identification service at UFMNH.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/amateur-collector/fossil-id

SS

Edited January 23, 2016 by Shellseeker

[Auspex]

The trabecular structure is very cetacean-like.

[prem]

I think the holes are probably shipworm burrows in the bone. They are common to see in chunks of dugong rib (which are probably the second most abundant fossil, after sharks' teeth).

---Prem

[Harry Pristis]

I think the holes are probably shipworm burrows in the bone. They are common to see in chunks of dugong rib (which are probably the second most abundant fossil, after sharks' teeth).

---Prem

If the marks are burrows, the burrowers are far more likely to be pholadid clams.

[prem]

So, we're going with indeterminate, worn cetacean cervical vertebra for the ID?

---Prem

[Carl]

That's what I would call it.

[Boesse]

Carl's got the right idea on this one - and think Harry's right about the pholad clam borings.