Whale Vertabrae fossil found in Templeton, ca

[Malani]

Is there anyone in San Luis Obispo County who can identify a fossil we believe to be a substantial section of whale vertebrae found in our Templeton vineyard?

[JohnJ]

@Boesse

 

Give it a bit, and Bobby may check in. 

[caldigger]

Yes Melani, you have found a section of cetacean vertebral column.  Actually these are found in the vineyards around here more often than you might think.  The western Santa Lucia's are prolific with whale bones and show up all the time in those concretions and loose in the soil.  Some have found huge sections of ribs and skulls as well.

Nice example you have there.  Unfortunately, a good majority of these things end up as yard art and go to waste due to erosion.

 

By the way, I am in Paso.

[Ash]

Thats amazing!

 

Caldigger that is indeed a waste!

[Carl]

Looks like the tail vertebrae to me. I can't take it further. Nice find!

[Boesse]

Not much more I can help with here - they are indeed caudal vertebrae of a large cetacean, likely a baleen whale or a large odontocete such as a sperm whale. My guess would be the Monterey Fm. or perhaps the Paso Robles Fm. (not intimately familiar with the local geology, but these are the two units in the region that produce large concretions with articulated remains in fine-grained matrix).