Dugong manatee dilemma

[LONGOF]

During my field works at Central Hispaniola I have been finding what appear to be manatees/dugongs ribs.  As a rookie in the field of paleontology, which I am passionate about, could you help me determine if these dozens of pieces collected, in an elongated form and that are pinching at the end, as ribs of manatee/dugongs correspond or not to these vertebrates? ? They are dense and have small blackish dots like some mollusk fossils that I have also collected.  Thanks, infinite thanks for helping me with this dilemma that fascinates me at the same time !!

[Fossildude19]

These don't look like bone to me, but rather, infilled burrows.  

Can we get pictures of the ends of the items? 

Regards,

[Darktooth]

I agree with Tim, these do not look like bone.

[Rockwood]

Infilled traces, perhaps burrows, within a burrow.

[LONGOF]

But what are these rip shaped pieces??  Kuphus, mega-khupus??.  I'm sending more in-situ pics to help me to determine this big dilemma.  Thanks, many many thanks !!

[ynot]

9 minutes ago, LONGOF said:

But what are these rip shaped pieces??  Kuphus, mega-khupus??. 

Seems too big for ship worms. Maybe a large clam or crustacean made the burrow.

It is hard to be sure on trace fossils.

[Rockwood]

Just a hunch, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was a paleosol. Could the digger have been more squirrel like ?  

Of course that wouldn't rule out crustacean.

[LONGOF]

Thanks to all for these valuable comments.  The pieces are dense, solid, WITHOUT any hole in the middel, as the normal bones I know, so, are manatee/dugong rib bones solids??  Thanks deeply again!!

[Harry Pristis]

 

I am reluctant to totally disregard the possibility of dugongid.  Daryl P. Domning is the authority on sirenians in the Caribbean . . . You may want to search for some of his publications.  He is accessible if you email him.

 

 

[LONGOF]

Thanks, many many thanks Mr. Pristis.  I'll look for.

[Plantguy]

Interesting finds! I like Harry's comments--those last several shots are intriguing and make you wonder a bit. Are any of the ends freshly broken on those last specimens that would allow you to see the internal details? Some of the examples we find up here in Florida dont show any visible internal structure due to preservation/weathering/mineralization on the outside but a number do show some internal banding and other very fine grained boney features. 

Here's a picture from the UF site of the most abundant species we find: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/species/metaxytherium-floridanum

 

Please let us know if you are able to check with Dr. Domning and/or confirm that all are burrows/traces and/or perhaps some are actual bone. thanks!

Regards, Chris 

Edited November 4, 2018 by Plantguy
added url link for photo

[abyssunder]

The preservation status may be different to the ones of this topic, but I think the fragments in question might be trace fossils similar to the ones mentioned.

 

 

[LONGOF]

Thanks a lot Abby, Plantguy and all of you!  Attached is a pic that would help with this dilemma.  Later I'll take internal/section pics.  Take care !