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Ice age horse leg


kirkjeremiah23

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 I found the leg of a prehistoric horse at a local shop. Supposedly found in Belgium. Just wanted thoughts on authenticity and rarity. Wondering if anyone had any opinions on it. Check out the pictures. Thank you

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Definitely NOT a horse.  Horses are perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates) and Pleistocene/Modern horses only have a single toe (the middle one) on each foot.  That is some sort of artiodactyl (even-toed ungulates)...though which one it is I couldn't tell you.  There are too many possibilities (deer, antelope, etc.).

 

-Joe

Illigitimati non carborundum

Fruitbat's PDF Library

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You want my opinion?  I think that leather chair looks real comfortable.

 

 

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Bison? They've been found in the waters near Mer du Nord. (I don't know, I'm just trying out my investigative powers, I'm a noob when it comes to vertebrates, and not big on this time period to boot!)

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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7 minutes ago, Fruitbat said:

I think that one is a little too small for a bison.  I'd be more inclined to guess some sort of deer or sheep or goat.

 

-Joe

 

I'm certainly not questioning your knowledge—as I'm certain you know more about the subject than I—but for our edification could you share what diagnostic features lead you in that direction? Also, am I correct that this would be a metatarsal and phalanges? 

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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6 minutes ago, DevonianDigger said:

 

I'm certainly not questioning your knowledge—as I'm certain you know more about the subject than I—but for our edification could you share what diagnostic features lead you in that direction? Also, am I correct that this would be a metatarsal and phalanges? 

 

I should rephrase. Are there any diagnostic features visible, or are you just basing your call on size alone?

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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Without having the specimen in hand, I'm mainly going on the basis of size...though most of the Bison third phalanges I've seen are a bit more robust than what I'm seeing in the pictures.  I'm sure there are diagnostic features to be seen but I don't claim to be any kinds of expert on artiodactyl feet.  Keep in mind that there were many types of deer, sheep, goats, antelopes, etc. (as well as bison and aurochs) found in Europe during the Pleistocene.

 

-Joe

Illigitimati non carborundum

Fruitbat's PDF Library

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1 minute ago, Fruitbat said:

Without having the specimen in hand, I'm mainly going on the basis of size...though most of the Bison third phalanges I've seen are a bit more robust than what I'm seeing in the pictures.  I'm sure there are diagnostic features to be seen but I don't claim to be any kinds of expert on artiodactyl feet.  Keep in mind that there were many types of deer, sheep, goats, antelopes, etc. (as well as bison and aurochs) found in Europe during the Pleistocene.

 

-Joe

 

Thanks, Joe! I was just curious. Not sure why I picked this one to finally try and learn about, but I did! Figured it would be a good excuse to ask some questions and get some answers!

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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I'm with Bovid. The bones look too fat for any kind of deer found in these deposits, those have slender, longer bones.

 

If this is truly Ice Age, it probably came from the North Sea deposits off the coast of Belgium. Most likely a fishing boat drag them up in their nets, but these bones do show up on shorelines that have been reinforced with sand from these older deposits.

 

If it is Bovid, it could be normal cow, but the North Sea deposits also contain the bones of Aurochs and Wisents (Bison).

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The colouration is consistent with fossils from the North Sea. It holds fossils from the pleistocene and holocene.

Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite

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Yay! I'm not totally delusional! My research had pointed me toward bison from the North Sea near Mer du Nord, Belgium. Even if it's not a bison, I'll take this as a win considering people seem to agree with the location. (Not that there are exactly a ton of places to find pleistocene materials in Belgium to choose from. :P

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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