New Jersey Cretaceous broken vert. ID help

[frankh8147]

Season's Greeting!

 

I found this broken vertabrae earlier this year around Big Brook NJ - it is Cretaceous in age. It's roughly missing 1/3 to 1/2 of it and is worn but i was wondering if we can tell what it is? I was thinking Plesiosaur but I'm really not sure about that. Thanks!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Merry Christmas! 

I'm not sure there's enough of it left to make a guess. 

Still, many know more than I! 

[Troodon]

Looks a bit like mosasaur

[Chase B.]

Dear all,

 

I can confirm that this is a mosasaur vertebra, specifically an abraded distal caudal of an individual about the size of the holotype of Halisaurus platyspondylus. Congratulations on this amazing find!

 

Regards,

 

Chase

[The Jersey Devil]

The bone structure in the second picture from the top looks plesiosaurian and sort of resembles Mosasaurian structure too, but it also appears to have a convex face and a concave face. It is also smaller than the average plesiosaur vertebra. I'm leaning more towards Mosasaur.

[JarrodB]

Worn mosasaur vert.

 

[frankh8147]

Thats great!! Im glad I decided to put it up for ID. Thanks again!  -Frank 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Luckily many do know more than I. 

It's nice to be wrong.

Nice vert! 

[frankh8147]

7 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Luckily many do know more than I. 

It's nice to be wrong.

Nice vert! 

Thanks! I'm very happy with the ID. For some reason, even though I find 10 Mosasaur teeth to every Plesiosaur tooth here, I've found and seen a lot more Plesiosaur verts come out of these brooks than Mosasaur. I wonder why that is...

 

Thanks again!

Frank