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Astragalus or phalange Identification?


Jkramasz

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Edit to add: more likely a phalange

This was found in the river at the confluence of the Blue Earth and Minnesota River in South Central Minnesota on August 3, 2018. It appears to me to be an astragalus, the size of that of a white tailed deer, but the shape is not quite right. 
It matches none of the astragali found in Miles Gilbert's Mammalian Osteology. 
The "bump" at about the 4cm mark in two of the photos seems like a very distinctive feature, yet I cannot find an identification for this.

About our area:
This area was, in early American times, the land of the Sioux Indians and the bison. Geologically, this area is very rich in silica. We find a lot of mineralized bones of bison, bos, Odocoileus virginianus, etc. This is the north eastern edge of the great plains.
 

astragalus 5.jpg

astragalus 1.jpg

astragalus 2.jpg

astragalus 3.jpg

astragalus 4.jpg

Edited by Jkramasz
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  • Jkramasz changed the title to Astragalus or phalange Identification?
21 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

Looks like a phalange to me.

Thank you. The more I look at it, the more it look like a phalange to me too. I'm fairly new to this and learning as I go. Phalanges aren't in the osteology book that I have, so I hadn't considered it first. I appreciate your feedback.

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Yes . .. you say you find bison in the area. A medial phalange perhaps ?

 

Cheers,

B

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16 minutes ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said:

Yes . .. you say you find bison in the area. A medial phalange perhaps ?

 

Cheers,

B

I think so! Thank you so much!

IMG_3078.JPG

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1 hour ago, Jkramasz said:

Phalanges aren't in the osteology book that I have, so I hadn't considered it first.

 

5b65c86555873_astragalus2.jpg.1be1d72ec9ed0fa1634d32971524a191.jpg.302b3a249ab8226a3dbc1887c6fab002.jpgPhalanges.thumb.jpg.22fd26a787cb3d9da479d6f60e5506bf.jpgPhalanges_text.thumb.jpg.65668ccb19244e0f579de2864c13e166.jpg

excerpt from E. Schmid. 1972. Atlas of Animal Bones. For Prehistorians, Archaeologists and Quaternary Geologists. Elsevier, New York.

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" 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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44 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

 

5b65c86555873_astragalus2.jpg.1be1d72ec9ed0fa1634d32971524a191.jpg.302b3a249ab8226a3dbc1887c6fab002.jpg

excerpt from E. Schmid. 1972. Atlas of Animal Bones. For Prehistorians, Archaeologists and Quaternary Geologists. Elsevier, New York.

Thank you! This is very helpful. I will save and print it.

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You're welcome! :)

" 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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