Fossil(s) to Identify

[Shellseeker]

An interesting day and enjoyable also: Waist deep water, sun was shining, warm breeze.

Fossil #1 Bird foot bone? 1 inch wide , slightly less than 2 inches in length: Which birds are candidates?

 

Fossil #2 Very small

 

Fossil #3 Osteoderm. Which animal?  Any input on body position? Head, Tail. etc

 

Fossil #4 A 2+ inch Jaw with 1 tooth

 

All suggestions and comments Appreciated..  

[caldigger]

Might #3 be an intervertebral disc?  #2 crocodilian?  

 

All are from something dead...how's that help? 

[Al Dente]

Number 4 looks like a fish premaxilla. The shape of the tooth makes me think it is some type of scombrid (tuna and mackerel family).

[jcbshark]

Nice finds Jack, I'm thinking croc with the second tooth: )

[JohnBrewer]

I think croc too. I've got something very similar but about 1mm long fond in matrix I got from Dorren in a trade. 

[Cris]

Your first fossil is the distal end of a small mammal humerus. You might be able to pinpoint it down to the animal if you just google image search "_____ humerus". It reminds me a little of raccoon.

#2 is an alligator tooth with the root still attached.

#3 is a glyptodont scute, but I am not sure of the exact position on the shell/body.

#4 is some soft of fish maxilla, I believe.

[Shellseeker]

Thanks for the likely leads....

#1 -  This bone is a humerus.. and might be Raccoon, but there are some differences from this one that was on ebay,

#2 Agree on the Croc ID -- Are the vertical lines/striations on the tooth the primary differentiation. Croc is pretty rare in the Peace River watershed.

# 3 Had to be dillo or glyptodont.  The Osteoderm is only broken on one side implying an edge or tail piece.

#4 -- a couple of more photos of the fish jaw from slightly different views.

 

For Identification purposes , note that the tooth sockets seem very small to accomodate the tooth that remains which would imply different size teeth. Also from this last photo, the teeth rum at the outer edge of the Jaw and then (maybe) there is a socket for a much bigger tooth in front of the tooth e see,

Here is a jaw of a modern King Mackerel, which does not seem to match,

Here is a Tuna,

and finally a Barracuda:

I am thinking that this dentition is closer to Barracuda than to Mackerel or Tuna. It might also have similarity to Alligator Gar.

What is really surprising is that I have found the 1st 2 fossil fish jaws in my life at this spot in the last 10 days.

 

[Cris]

Raccoon humerus. It may be from some other small mammal (and probably is), but that link will help you confirm or eliminate that as a possibility.

Small alligator teeth can have striations for whatever reason. I have some rooted ones nearly identical that I can photograph if interested.

[Shellseeker]

24 minutes ago, Cris said:

Raccoon humerus. It may be from some other small mammal (and probably is), but that link will help you confirm or eliminate that as a possibility.

Small alligator teeth can have striations for whatever reason. I have some rooted ones nearly identical that I can photograph if interested.

Thanks Cris.  NICE site -- seems pretty clear, enough detailed similarities and within the size range.  I will recognize this one in the future.

I have always had difficulties differentiating slim croc/gator teeth. Thanks for the offer to provide photos of nearly identical small gator teeth with striations. If they are almost identical, how do know that what you have is gator rather then croc or vice versa?

There is an interesting discussion of differences in this thread:

 

[Cris]

Just now, Shellseeker said:

If they are almost identical, how do know that what you have is gator rather then croc or vice versa?

The teeth were found in a pristine Blancan (early Pleistocene) sinkhole site along with a ton of other alligator material (and fossils only known from the Blancan). A few partial skulls, 20 or so jaw sections with teeth, verts, bones, scutes, etc. Your tooth could very well be croc still, though. I'll get the pics and we can compare.

[Al Dente]

8 hours ago, Shellseeker said:

 

For Identification purposes , note that the tooth sockets seem very small to accomodate the tooth that remains which would imply different size teeth. Also from this last photo, the teeth rum at the outer edge of the Jaw and then (maybe) there is a socket for a much bigger tooth in front of the tooth e see,

Here is a jaw of a modern King Mackerel, which does not seem to match,

 

 

The additional photos show that this is not a Scombrid jaw. I'm not sure what it belongs to but would make a guess that it could be a type of true bass or grouper because of the robust nature of the jaw or could be a jack or drum.

[Shellseeker]

3 hours ago, Al Dente said:

 

The additional photos show that this is not a Scombrid jaw. I'm not sure what it belongs to but would make a guess that it could be a type of true bass or grouper because of the robust nature of the jaw or could be a jack or drum.

Thanks Al Dente, Your suggestion started me down the path of searching for modern and fossil fish Jaws and for going back and examining the find.  That is when I decided to add photos because my originals were not all that good. 

I am still wondering whether it is  maxilla or mandible front or back of jaw. Also whether the "pit" in front of the tooth is another socket. If so, it is a very large tooth in front.

Thanks, I will check out jaws of the fish you suggest.  Jack

[Shellseeker]

I started to question whether the remaining tooth is really a tooth and what position this jaw segment has in the mouth. I am now confident that it is a tooth from this photo below. Also , due to all the jaw bone material, I am thinking back of the mouth, and thus upper jaw left with much smaller teeth going to the front?