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Freeport Beach Texas Fossil - Medial Phalanx?


AliBear

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Hi, I'm new here and I am a biologist by education and a fossil hunter by hobby. I found this fossil on Freeport Beach in Texas on Christmas Day, 2016. I have been trying to get into contact with a paleontologist at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, but I figured it doesn't hurt to seek out additional resources, especially for future ID assistance. This bone is approximately 3 cm long. I think it is a medial phalanx, but I have seen so many phalanges, but I have no idea how to get it down to species or even Order for that matter. So I was hoping someone here could help me out. The area it was found in is known for Pleistocene fauna and Clovis artifacts, since the what is now beach was plains 10,000 years ago. 

 

Thanks! I will appreciate any feedback.

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Does the Houston Museum of Natural Science identify specimens? I live in Houston, it would be very interesting to know!!!

 

"Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier

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I was given the name of a paleontologist there and told that they would love to help me with ID, but his voicemail box was full so it wouldn't allow me to leave a message. I'm assuming he's out in the field - the website says he's involved in a Dimitrodon dig in north Texas (I think) so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the case. If I hear back from him, I'll definitely let you know!

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Wow I might send some fossils there!!!:dinothumb:

 

"Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier

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22 minutes ago, AliBear said:

I was given the name of a paleontologist there and told that they would love to help me with ID, but his voicemail box was full so it wouldn't allow me to leave a message. I'm assuming he's out in the field - the website says he's involved in a Dimitrodon dig in north Texas (I think) so it wouldn't surprise me if that's the case. If I hear back from him, I'll definitely let you know!

 

 

Welcome to the Forum. :) 

 

If the name was Chris Flis,  he is a member here on the Forum. :) 

@dinodigger

 

@Harry Pristis  @calhounensis  and @jpc are very knowledgeable members here as well. ;) 

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Alibear, can you give some reference to size? Photo next to a ruler or familiar size object works good.

 

 

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Actually it was David Temple and I got an email from him a little bit ago! I just sent him the photos.  I'm looking forward to learning a lot from this forum. I have always loved fossils and look forward to sharing my finds!

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A) Dave Temple is a lot like me... I don't know how much he detail he can give to Pleistocene/modern bones such as this.  (I may be wrong and maybe he has learned a lot since I worked w him back in the last millenium.)  I personally would be happy with toe-bone/phalanx.  Harry is one of our best at bones of this age.  

 

B) 'medial'... correct me if I am wrong, but this word to me means central on the long axis of an animal... so a medial phalanx would be the middle toe.  But deer do not have a middle toe since they only have two toes.  Medial, to me, does not mean the second of three toe bones in a one toe.  Maybe I am being nit-picky. 

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Medial, when referring to the phalanx, is referring to which bone in the digit it is, because there are three bones per digit. There is a distal phalanx, a medial phalanx, and a proximal phalanx for each digit. 

 

I've always wondered how some bones can be identified and some others can't, but I'm sure a lot has to do with the location it was found. Since it washed up on shore I assume it will be harder to ID. I'm still hopeful though! :)

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If this was found at Surfside or Quintana (Texas), then it is most likely 'modern'.  As you probably know, there is a long history of settlement in the area. 

 

However, if it is a heavily mineralized specimen, then it's likelihood of being a fossil increases because bones are not known to mineralize quickly in that area. 

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

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30 minutes ago, JohnJ said:

If this was found at Surfside or Quintana (Texas), then it is most likely 'modern'.  As you probably know, there is a long history of settlement in the area. 

 

However, if it is a heavily mineralized specimen, then it's likelihood of being a fossil increases because bones are not known to mineralize quickly in that area. 

Still a decent chance that  it's a fossil. I've actually found a mammoth phalanx at Quintana before. It was heavily worn and beaten up, so it may have washed ashore after travelling down the Brazos. 

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4 minutes ago, garyc said:

Still a decent chance that  it's a fossil. I've actually found a mammoth phalanx at Quintana before. It was heavily worn and beaten up, so it may have washed ashore after travelling down the Brazos. 

 

Nice find for that area, Gary.  I grew up in the local towns.  If this find was almost anything other than belonging to a deer, my confidence would be higher.  ;) 

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

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Phalanges.jpgPhalanges_text.jpg

excerpt from Atlas of Animal Bones. For Prehistorians, Archaeologists and Quaternary Geologists - Elisabeth Schmid; Elsevier, New York, 1972.

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