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Did I pick up trash? Opalescent


Hunterthurmond

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Found this washed up in a place I think is yorktown formation. I thought it might be fossilized because of the opalescence in the marrow.  I dont know where to start on evaluating this, what do you all think?

20180216_184609.jpg

20180216_184528.jpg

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That's not trash, that's a bone with nice barnacles attached to it. :)

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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19 minutes ago, Hunterthurmond said:

Is the opalescent region part of the bone or something attatched to it? Will letting it dry out damage it? 

The opalescence is something fairly recent that has broken away revealing what remains inside.  Are you sure the bone is fossilized ? 

 

Cheers,

B

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3 minutes ago, Hunterthurmond said:

No definitely not sure.  Is putting a flame to it the best way to tell?

  It is one way to tell .... yes. If the bone is modern you should get a stench. If the bone is mineralized you may get none.  That being said there is quite a bit of growth on the bone.  It looks recent something akin to a deer bone, does it feel dense and heavy ? 

 

B

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12 hours ago, Hunterthurmond said:

No definitely not sure.  Is putting a flame to it the best way to tell?

I say yes, things can mineralize or be stained by tannins quickly and gain weight through mineralization on the outer layers quickly. I learned that the hard way.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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12 hours ago, Hunterthurmond said:

Is the opalescent region part of the bone or something attatched to it? Will letting it dry out damage it? 

Can you be more specific what region are you referring to? The whitish spot in middle of the bone in picture one?

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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27 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Basal plate of a modern barnacle on a deer radius. (also modern)

Evidently barnacle scar. That was the reason why I asked, waiting for  Hunterthurmond's response. ;)

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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3 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

Evidently barnacle scar. That was the reason why I asked, waiting for  Hunterthurmond's response. ;)

I see (said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw:)). It's a matter of it being the right target.

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Could someone explain in a bit more detail what the "flame" test means? I know there is no definitive test to determine bone vs. something other, but it there a way to narrow it down?   Thanks!

 

Roberta

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1 minute ago, Roberta NJ CA said:

Could someone explain in a bit more detail what the "flame" test means? I know there is no definitive test to determine bone vs. something other, but it there a way to narrow it down?   Thanks!

 

Roberta

When a flame is held to a modern bone it will smell like burnt hair.

This is a simple way to tell if a bone is modern.

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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