help with VERTEBRA ID

[Rtrkat]

Hi, a friend bought this in south dakota about 20 years ago and had forgotten all about it.  Any ideas on what kind it may be? It measures 16"w x 6" h and weighs about 40lbs.  

[ynot]

Welcome to TFF!

Can You post pictures of the sides and back?

Tony

[Rtrkat]

Here's more pics

[Rtrkat]

More picsHere's more pics

[Rtrkat]

More picsHere's more pics

[ynot]

Sorry I can not help with the ID.

But maybe @Troodon or @Canadawest can help.

Give it a while for them to show.

Tony

[jpc]

I am having a hard time seeing bone in this.

[Rtrkat]

Would more close up pictures help?

[Vieira]

I can't see structure bone there too...

 

Put some close up pictures please.

[Rtrkat]

Here are more close up pics.

[Rtrkat]

[Rtrkat]

So the story is...my friend's dad was on an archeology dig in south dakota and unearthed this.

[Rtrkat]

It definately feel like rock but I didnt know if bone could petrify or have minerals from the earth attach to it.

[ynot]

The first close up looks like agate. It does not look like bone in any of the pictures.

Yes bone can be turned to stone and get very heavy.

I wonder if this could be a "cone in cone" structure.(?)

 

Anyways it is not a vert.

 

Tony

 

[Rtrkat]

Could it be a vertebra that turned into stone? Or just absolutely not one?

[JohnJ]

To me, this looks more like some kind of chert based nodule.  They form naturally into bizarre shapes.  I think it only a suggestively shaped rock.  

[Ridgehiker]

1 hour ago, Rtrkat said:

Could it be a vertebra that turned into stone? Or just absolutely not one?

 

Not a  Cretaceous one.  i've collected thousands of dino vertebrae and Your specimen is  twice as large  and four times as heavy as the biggest Cretaceous dino vertebra I've seen.

 

It doesn't look like, have the texture, etc. of dino.  Its difficult to judge from photos but the appearance and weight isnt organic

 

Dont be too disappointed as it may be some other neat rock that was collected for a reason. Non fossils are just difficult to identify without some hands on tests.

[ynot]

2 hours ago, Rtrkat said:

just absolutely not one

Yeah, that sums it up good.

Tony

 

PS It is a neat looking rock.