Hamstead Vertebra

[TXV24]

Hi, 

 

Sorry I haven't been that active on here recently for the last few weeks, I've been incredibly busy. I've made a few trips to Hamstead over the past few weeks (I'll post some of the highlights later) and have just got back from a very wet and windy trip today, which as usual did not disappoint. The most interesting find of the day, along with a snake vertebra and an anthracothere premolar, was this fairly intact vertebra. My initial thoughts were perhaps crocodilian or mammalian but it looks very different from any Diplocynodon vertebra I've ever found, and I can't find a match to any mammals. The spinous process is nearly intact and it has a very narrow neural canal. Any help would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks, 

 

Theo

 

 

 

[caldigger]

Can't assist on ID, but it is a great find though.

[DE&i]

@Adie_uk has great knowledge of the area.

[Adie_uk]

Thats an interesting one, not like any i have picked up over the past 7 odd years, have you sent images to Alan Morton?  http://www.dmap.co.uk/fossils/

 

Theo Have you been collecting from this area for long? just a thought you could try Megan Jocobs... she has a page on fb https://www.facebook.com/MeganJacobsPalaeontologist/

 

[JohnBrewer]

That's a weird one. Never seen anything like that from Hampstead but if a beach find it come from anywhere. 

 

[JohnBrewer]

Why not iguanodon? I've got a small but very rough beach find that looks similar but the images I have are a bit rubbish, almost as rubbish as the vert. 

 

[TXV24]

Hi, 

 

@Adie_uk I've been collecting there on and off for years but have been regularly collecting there since the start of this year (every weekend when I can), I had considered getting into contact with him especially regarding the Ronzotherium tooth I recently found, but I have contacts at Dinosaur Isle who I'll send some images of it to, as you're right it's unlike anything I've ever encountered there either. I had initially thought it was a caudal vertebra from Diplocynodon but it looks nothing like any of the crocodilian vertebrae I've collected. 

 

@JohnBrewer Thanks for the suggestion, I'm not sure about Iguanodon as it would be quite unlikely for a specimen from the Wealden to make it's way round onto the north coast on the currents and tides, additionally the preservation of the specimen matches material from the Hamstead Mbrs, it's certainly a strange find.