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DevonianDigger

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So, I have a curiosity. I have been, as you may already know, preparing a pair of Edmontosaurus ribs that I obtained, (original location presently unknown, but I can find out.) As I have been piecing the bits together, I have found that I have a third piece that I have reassembled that does not match either rib, nor does it match the material of either rib, but I have been assured they were found in association. It definitely seems like it could be another rib, but I'm not convinced it's from the same critter, or even type of critter. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

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Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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The sharp-ish edges are very un-rib-like in my opinion, and they certainly don't match the smooth surfaces of the other pieces. This is all I was able to reassemble from the pieces. Everything else is accounted for in the two main pieces. These were the extra bits that don't match in color, texture, or overall shape.

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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Looks more like a bone splinter. Perhaps from a leg bone or such.

Is any portion of it rounded like the outer texture of a large bone?

 

 

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Will it mold up to the known rib as paired up side by side?

Lay rib 2 against it. The curvature looks right.

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Edmontosaurus ribs take all different shapes.  Your specimen has the features of one.  Here are a few to compare against.

 

1453268293.jpg.8341746da69a7a2ce498cf491b5ae75c.jpg.f1e00185cdc833843e0f890f2f6843a4.jpgs657149839618697175_p17_i1_w600.thumb.jpeg.37b380e82696c8bdb83114dd63a47401.jpeg.67b460e369e1e12fc15e3b8347993db1.jpeg

 

 

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7 hours ago, caldigger said:

Looks more like a bone splinter. Perhaps from a leg bone or such.

Is any portion of it rounded like the outer texture of a large bone?

 

Yes, one face of it does seem to have a more regular bone surface, the others are pretty rough. 

 

4 hours ago, bone2stone said:

Will it mold up to the known rib as paired up side by side?

Lay rib 2 against it. The curvature looks right.

 

The problem with that idea is that rib # 2 has complete exterior surfaces on all sides, there is nothing missing from any of the faces. At least nothing more than just some random flakes and tiny pieces. Also, the material doesn't match the ribs at all.

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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44 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Edmontosaurus ribs take all different shapes.  Your specimen has the features of one.  Here are a few to compare against.

 

1453268293.jpg.8341746da69a7a2ce498cf491b5ae75c.jpg.f1e00185cdc833843e0f890f2f6843a4.jpgs657149839618697175_p17_i1_w600.thumb.jpeg.37b380e82696c8bdb83114dd63a47401.jpeg.67b460e369e1e12fc15e3b8347993db1.jpeg

 

 

 

Since I don't know the answer, I'm hoping you can help me to understand. If they were all found in association, and there are three ribs, or parts thereof, why would just this one have a totally different texture, color, and surface?

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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Just because they were found associated does not mean the preservation would be the same.  In the Edmontosaurus bone bed I dig specimens just a few inches apart are vastly different in color from dark brown, beige to red tones.  From very well preserved to punky or encrusted in iron.   Locality is important and some areas you find more consistency in preservation but thats not the case in my quarry.

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Probably a part of the rib has been exposed to the surface for a few weeks/months (which helped finding the fossil) and the rest was still embedded inside the matrix. This can create significant differences in the color, texture and roughness.

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@Troodon & @Flx - thank you both for the info. I am at the considerable disadvantage of never having been fortunate enough to dig for vertebrates myself, so I am pretty clueless on how they turn up. I imagine a few days of digging would help to remedy that, but for the near future at least I have to rely on the help of others in figuring some of this stuff out. 

 

44 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Just because they were found associated does not mean the preservation would be the same.  In the Edmontosaurus bone bed I dig specimens just a few inches apart are vastly different in color from dark brown, beige to red tones.  From very well preserved to punky or encrusted in iron.   Locality is important and some areas you find more consistency in preservation but thats not the case in my quarry.

 

That was exactly where I was confused. The other pieces are all quite punky and rather fragile. These pieces seem solid enough to use as a hammer. All I really know at this point is that come from the Hell Creek formation, nothing more specific than that at this time.

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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The extent of my vertebrate digging experience comes from Jurassic Park, where you apparently just dig up complete, perfectly preserved Velociraptor skeletons that aren't actually Velociraptors at all, but you call them that because it's more exciting sounding. :P That is how it works right?

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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30 minutes ago, DevonianDigger said:

The extent of my vertebrate digging experience comes from Jurassic Park, where you apparently just dig up complete, perfectly preserved Velociraptor skeletons that aren't actually Velociraptors at all, but you call them that because it's more exciting sounding. :P That is how it works right?

Very typical of most folks who have never dug for dinosaurs

My dig last fall at a Hadro bone bed

 

 

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