drobare Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Hello. I recently took a trip on the Potomac River south of Washington to a Paleocene site. Nothing too exciting for the most part. Lots of small shark's teeth, two smaller broken Otodus teeth. I did, however, find two oddities. Both appear to be bone, one has "ripples" in the surface reminding me of turtle shell. the other has dimples that somewhat resemble a crocodile scute, but not exactly.. Any help would be appreciated.. Thanks!! drobare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DatFossilBoy Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Gator scutes??? Not an expert though,lets’ see what the others say. cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 My best guess is a bit of turtle on the left and perhaps a croc scute bit on the right. I'm sure others that know more than I do will chime in. 3 Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 The left one is likely a Trionyx turtle scute. The one on the right is a croc scute. 1 “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 I agree with Lori and Joseph. But I would definitely avoid the word scute for these, especially the turtle. Osteoderm is best for the croc, but that is arguable for the turtle. Maybe just go with 'turtle shell fragment.' Scute should be reserved for the keratinous coverings of osteoderms, which are rarely, if ever, preserved as fossils. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indominus rex Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 I am no expert but to me, the one on the right looks like gator and the one on the left is a Turtle fragment. But like I said I cant confirm it. Regards. Life started in the ocean. And so did my interest in fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 56 minutes ago, Carl said: I agree with Lori and Joseph. But I would definitely avoid the word scute for these, especially the turtle. Osteoderm is best for the croc, but that is arguable for the turtle. Maybe just go with 'turtle shell fragment.' Scute should be reserved for the keratinous coverings of osteoderms, which are rarely, if ever, preserved as fossils. We do use the term scute in reference to tortoises and turtles. 4 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 18 minutes ago, Tidgy's Dad said: We do use the term scute in reference to tortoises and turtles. Exactly! These are maps to the keratinous scutes that lie on top of the bony elements of the shell. The bony elements have an entirely different configuration. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drobare Posted April 3, 2018 Author Share Posted April 3, 2018 Wow! That is some great information! Thank you.. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 And Trionyx sp. has a fleshy covering of its shell -- it doesn't have keratinous scutes covering the bone elements of its carapace and plastron. 2 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 The term "scute" is used in armadillos, crocodilians and turtles in general conversation among the paleontologically inclined. I've heard it used for many years. Guess it isn't scientifically accurate but we'll have trouble getting it out of usage if that's the case. When one says "scute"; everyone knows what they're talking about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 It seems to me that the paleontologically-inclined would be inclined toward the best paleontological vocabulary. But, you're right that the error is widespread. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megaholic Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 Somebody say foot pads??? LOL "A man who asks is a fool for five minutes. A man who never asks is a fool for life". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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