ShadyW Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I wonder if any of you can help me with this nice little vert that my daughters found in a creek north of Plano, TX? The creek consists of gravel bars full of shark teeth, and this is the only non-fish vert we've ever found there. There's a second view in my Gallery, although the quality of the image isn't any better in that one... really must buy a tripod for macro photos! Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatorman Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hard to see the socket type, can you describe it for us? Is it a ball on on end and a socket on the other or are they flatter surfaces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadyW Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hard to see the socket type, can you describe it for us? Is it a ball on on end and a socket on the other or are they flatter surfaces? They're both relatively flat surfaces. Certainly not the concave/convex pair that my Mossasaur vert has. In fact, this second image shows the socket better, I think: Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest N.AL.hunter Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I am pretty sure this is a sea snake vertebrae. In the Eocene of Alabama, I find ones that look a lot if not exactly like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy 55 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Looks snake to me too! :cool: It's my bone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 This is a mammal vertebra, not snake. www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadyW Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 This is a mammal vertebra, not snake. Thanks Auriculatus. I'd reached that same conclusion after reading about concave/convex vertebral sockets on reptiles, and the flatter sockets on mammals (thanks to Anson's hint). Any idea what kind of mammal it could be? I know that's a pretty broad question, but I'd be happy for any suggestions! A few months ago I found a picture online that claimed to be a fossil Bobcat vert, and it looked very, very similar. Now I can't find the picture again, but it gave me the idea that this could be from a cat of some sort. Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Too small for bobcat. Look more at smaller mammals, raccoon, opossum, muskrat, etc. www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nicholas Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Perhaps some sort of rodent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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