Miocene Bone or Just a Rock..

[drobare]

So, I found this last week in Southern MD. The question before my esteemed miocene experts  is..

 

Did I find the ear drum of a whale..?  or am I being fooled by a cleverly shaped rock?

 

( Also, this is before the specimen fully dried out. )

 

Thanks for any assistance!

 

 

[fossilized6s]

I agree with your ID as a whale ear bone. 

[SailingAlongToo]

@drobare

 

Yes, you have a cetacean "bulla." One of the ear bones. 

[Rockwood]

The involucrum  minus the tympanic plate.

 

[Darko]

Whale ear bone

[drobare]

Thank you all!.. I was hoping that was what I had found.. :-)

It's not in perfect shape but it's still nice.. first one of those I have found..

 

[Boesse]

Perhaps the 'cetothere' Diorocetus hiatus - one of the only Calvert Fm. cetaceans with a distinct medial lobe.

 

Also a note: cetaceans do not have an 'ear drum', which is a soft tissue structure (tympanic membrane) that does not fossilize. The tympanic bulla is the bone here.

[drobare]

Thank you very much for the info! that's great to know!