Cretaceous vert/bone ID - Monmouth County NJ

[frankh8147]

Hello!

 

I found this last year in a Cretaceous site in Monmouth County, New Jersey last year and wanted to know what it came from.

 

I could be way off on this one but I was thinking possible crocodile due to that 'divot'. It's probably very stream worn and measures a little over a 1/2-inch long.

 

Thanks!  -Frank

[Plax]

I'm thinking worn bony fish. Just thinking; not knowing...

[frankh8147]

14 minutes ago, Plax said:

I'm thinking worn bony fish. Just thinking; not knowing...

That was definitely my initial thought as well - I actually just pulled this out of one of my storage containers of bony fish verts. The reason I decided to post it is because all of my others are concave on the ends and this is convex. 

 

I would think different fish have different vertebrates though, or it could be extremely stream worn...

[Misha]

15 minutes ago, frankh8147 said:

That was definitely my initial thought as well - I actually just pulled this out of one of my storage containers of bony fish verts. The reason I decided to post it is because all of my others are concave on the ends and this is convex. 

 

I would think different fish have different vertebrates though, or it could be extremely stream worn...

I would have to agree with fish, most likely explanation is that it is very worn and that process created the convex sides.

[ynot]

I disagree with fish as the cones of fish verts come close to meeting in the center and would be visible regardless of the wear.

I think it is a small crock vert, but it is so worn it is hard to be sure.

[Carl]

I think it's a bony fish, too, with sediment filling the conical articulations.

[ynot]

Pictures of the ends would help.

[frankh8147]

Thanks everyone!

 

Here are the best pictures I took of the ends. I apologize for my 'stream worn' hands. 

[The Jersey Devil]

It resembles a Croc/Mos vert because of possible sediment filling in some of the surfaces as others said, but the overall hourglass shape resembles a bony fish vert more. The hole in one of the ends looks strange. That’s probably from wear though.