Whale Verterbra?

[Dpaul7]

Hello!

 

My older sister just sent me a large fossilized bone.  She lives near Raleigh, (Garner, NC) but years ago took her son on various fossil hunting trips with the local club.  I know they went hunting around Aurora, NC.  The is a vertebra; I know there are whale fossils in the area. She no longer remembers - I do think it is a small whale vertebra!  Any other opinions?  I am very pleased with it, but would like some input on an identification from a more experienced eye than mine, which is NOT TOO experienced in these matters!

 

Thanks for looking!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yes, it looks like whale to me, probobly Suborder Odontoceti. a toothed whale. 

[Bobby Rico]

I also think Whale but I can only imagine it is very difficult to get an ID from an isolated vertebrae . I have a couple of Whale vertebrae in my collection, that I really like also but I can’t get any where near to an species ID. Nice gift off your sister I wish my sister got me some thing cool like that.

 

Cheers bobby 

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Maybe @Boesse will have a better idea of what it could be from. 

At the size listed, it could be from a small example of delphinidae. 

[Dpaul7]

Thank you for your input, folks!  I don't think I'll get a SPECIES identification.... but you never know!  Very  happy with it.  I now regret ALL the times I was mean to my big sister growing up! 

[Al Dente]

The white matrix with dark sand grains on the last photo makes me think this came from Miocene Pungo River Formation (assuming this is from North Carolina).

[Boesse]

Indeed an odontocete caudal vertebra - and if from the Aurora area as stated, I agree with @Al Dente on the formation (the matrix also appears cemented). Further, this is quite elongate for a caudal vertebra, further supporting an age older than Pliocene (longer vertebrae = archaic features in odontocetes)