GeschWhat Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 @Ramo was kind enough to send me some Niobrara coprolites to study. I decided to prep out a bone inclusion that was visible on the surface. I'm not a fish expert, so I'm guessing a preopercular fragment? Thanks for looking! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I'm not aware of any preopercular plates that have that kind of a 90° angle to them. I'm afraid I don't know what this bone comes from. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 I just stitched together two microscopic images so you can get a feel for the bone contours. Here is the modern fish skull I was looking at for comparison. I've thought about trying to prep out a little more of the bone, but it is so fragile. You can see where it chipped off in the center. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 Fragment of pterosaur skull ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 11, 2017 Author Share Posted February 11, 2017 5 hours ago, Rockwood said: Fragment of pterosaur skull ? Wouldn't that be amazing? I'll have to look into that! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 I sent an inquiry to one of the paleontologists at Kansas University. He thinks it could possibly be bird. I prepped out a little more of the bone and sent additional images. He said he may need to look at it under the microscope himself. @Ramo how cool is that! I've never seen a coprolite with avian inclusions. May end up donating this one Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 This actually would have fit my thinking better had I stopped to think. I was thinking of the more complex skulls (fenestra) of earlier Pterosaurs. Just getting to Pteranodon in Mark Witton's book and forgot to take into account the fact that birds were around then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 5 hours ago, Rockwood said: This actually would have fit my thinking better had I stopped to think. I was thinking of the more complex skulls (fenestra) of earlier Pterosaurs. Just getting to Pteranodon in Mark Witton's book and forgot to take into account the fact that birds were around then. Well you did a lot better than me. I never considered anything beyond fish! Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 I decided to prep out another inclusion that was peeking out on the end of the same coprolite. Perhaps this together with the other bone might mean something to someone. @Auspex I would love to hear you thoughts Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Super hard to get an ID with these tiny fragments. Since these are from a marine environment, the odds of something other than small fish are extremely rare. Fish bone from the Niobrara has a distinctive look, usually. The second bone you have photographed shows this "Flaky" texture. The first bone also looks a lot like fish to me. Ramo For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 I thought fish too, @Ramo! I'm not at all familiar with bird bones, so I have no point of reference. The only bird bone I have seen was from the Brule Fm., but never in a coprolite. I sent additional photos to David Burnham at KU over the weekend. So hopefully I'll hear back from him again this week. I found another interesting fish bone in one of the other coprolites and will post separately once I get around to putting the photos together. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 I'm thinking it is a jaw section from a fish. Perhaps Enchodus. I do not think it is a bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Here is an example of an Ichthyornis for comparison. The teeth are proportionally shorter and wider as well as slightly curved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 @KansasFossilHunter do you happen to have any good photos of Enchodus skull bones? I tried to find similarities to this coprolite/cololite. I couldn't find anything online that really showed anything (bird or fish) that matched up. I don't see the correlation between the bones in the coprolite and Ichthyornis...or was that your point? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KansasFossilHunter Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Here is a small Enchodus skull for reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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