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Fossilized human bone? Petrified wood? Trick-rock?


MrR

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Greetings fossil lovers, hunters, and/or experts. I read the newbie advisories and understand what they spell out. I am a member of other hobby groups, and therefore understand the frustrations presented by dealing with "drive-by" posters. That said, I may qualify as such a poster, as I am not a fossil hunter. I am, however, a person who is interested in different things, most of them antiquities of various types. Machines for the telling of time, aka watches, are but one of them. I am quite ignorant when it comes to fossils, archeology, anthropology, etc. But I am known to possess good instincts for finding interesting specimens. I believe this may be no exception. If it isn't, well, I won't take it too hard.

I found this specimen near the coast in Southern California. It was in an area that was frequented by a local indigenous people known as the Chumash. There is a lot of shell remnants around the bluffs and up to where the Pacific Coast Highway runs between Los Angeles and Ventura. It was right after a large brush fire burned to the water. This was probably over 20 years ago. My thinking is that it is a piece of fossilized bone, perhaps a human femur. There is a lot of evidence of a spongy structure, both internally, and externally, but of perhaps differing densities. What I believe may be the front portion of the suspected femur, is rounded and has creases running the length.

 

The length is approximately 100mm, width/diameter 39mm, and height 25mm. It weighs in the neighborhood of 68 grams/2 3/8 ounces (A rock of similar dimensions would seem to weigh more.). When I tap it with my fingernail, it has a bit of a "glassy/obsidian" sound to me. Again, different than a common rock. My instincts tell me this may indicate a fossilized condition. But that is just an uneducated guess.

 

What do the learned forum members think about this article? Does it appear to be, based on photos and description, fossilized bone? Is it also possibly from a human, rather than other animal? Any input is appreciated. Thank you in advance. Cheers.

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looks like a chunk o bone. I doubt you can ID it much more than that. Not many diagnostic characteristics left.

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Before the Chumash people, there were vast areas that were under the ocean. I would be pretty safe to say this is marine mammal bone (cetacean, pinniped or the like). Our coastal ranges are full of them.

 

 

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Welcome to The Fossil Forum!

 

As Xiphactinus and caldigger have already mentioned, your specimen is definitely bone but that's about as far as you're going to be able to take it without more diagnostic features.  The chances of it being a human femur are extremely remote.

 

-Joe

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Welcome to TFF from Morocco! :)

I agree, bone, but almost certainly not human. 

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Welcome to the Forum. :)

Nice Chunkosaur! 

(What we call unidentifiable bone pieces. ;) )

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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Thank you for your prompt and learned input, fossil-folks! After researching pinniped skeletal structure, I saw that the size and shape may indicate that it's a sea-lion tibia. I understand, based on the size of the piece, the difficulty it presents to say with certainty what it's from. It is nice to know that wasn't holding onto a piece of petrified, flaked and formed, whale dung for all these years. ;) It's interesting that what seems more tail-like in looking at a live sea-lion, actually has a more leg-like internal structure. I learned a few things today. Thanks again. Cheers all!

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2 hours ago, MrR said:

It is nice to know that wasn't holding onto a piece of petrified, flaked and formed, whale dung

That is really a funny thing, but if it was "whale dung" it would be a rare and amazing fossil. Much desired by coprolite (fossil poop) collectors.

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

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

 

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On 5/31/2018 at 6:59 PM, ynot said:

That is really a funny thing, but if it was "whale dung" it would be a rare and amazing fossil. Much desired by coprolite (fossil poop) collectors.

:heartylaugh:

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I believe it. I believe it. I just figured that I'd give credit where credit was "doo". OK, sorry, I couldn't help it. Cheers.

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