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Cen. Fla fossil


LaPete

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Looking for help IDing this one that was donated to Trout Lake Nature Center in Eustis, FL (just about in the very middle of the state). i believe it was found around here. Thank you

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Very interesting and unusual (can't say I've ever seen the likes in Florida). Nicely articulated--initially made me thin phalanges (finger/toe bones) but as they appear to be fused together, I'm assuming it is some part of the spine--possibly a coccyx (tail bone)?

 

Hopefully, there is something about this that rings a bell with @Harry Pristis.

 

Looking forward to hearing what others have to say about this item.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Wow!  That was a sick pup!  Looks like a massive bone infection in the vertebral column of (maybe) an alligator.  Anyone know an osteopathic surgeon who would be curious enough to diagnose this disease?

 

Gross bone infections are not unknown among 'gators.  Here's a basicranium from an adult-size 'gator for example:

 

 

gator_basicranium.JPG

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http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page

 

What seest thou else

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

---Shakespeare, The Tempest

 

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Ah, never considered a sternum--but looking at images online, I do see a strong resemblance in several ways.

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

1-s2.0-S154741270600106X-gr7.jpg

 

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Boy that is intriguing isnt it and looks like it may have been on the painful side. Seems worthy of shooting a note and pics to Dr. Hulbert for his expertise/thoughts. 

 

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/amateur-collector/fossil-id/

Per the Division of Vertebrate Paleontology of the Florida Museum of Natural History site:

 

Electronic Images. Send us digital images of specimens either as e-mail attachments in JPEG format (to rhulbert@flmnh.ufl.edu) or post them on your own web site and e-mail us the address (URL) of the site. Please include a ruler or some other indication of scale in the image. Take pictures of more than one side of the specimen.

 

Please let us know what he says. Would love to hear what it is/who it came from. Neat specimen!

Regards, Chris 

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Not sure that shows pathology. The sternum is often very cartilaginous and those rugose surfaces could just be cartilage attachments.

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