Jump to content

Need help with this one...


Discover and Preserve

Recommended Posts

We took the kids hunting in one of the creeks around Gainesville- found typical sharks teeth, ray barbs, etc then found this- I have no clue what it is- Any ideas?

Strange Fossil.jpeg

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow- thanks for the info! We were super stoked to find it- we've only been at this for a few months but never found anything that looks like this. Thanks again- much appreciated!

Brent

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Carl said:

...the bottom half of the shell...

Which is called the plastron.

 

Brent, you could label your piece as a xiphiplastron. :)

 

"I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?"  ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) 

 

New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins    

 

point.thumb.jpg.e8c20b9cd1882c9813380ade830e1f32.jpg research.jpg.932a4c776c9696d3cf6133084c2d9a84.jpg  RPV.jpg.d17a6f3deca931bfdce34e2a5f29511d.jpg  SJB.jpg.f032e0b315b0e335acf103408a762803.jpg  butterfly.jpg.71c7cc456dfbbae76f15995f00b221ff.jpg  Htoad.jpg.3d40423ae4f226cfcc7e0aba3b331565.jpg  library.jpg.56c23fbd183a19af79384c4b8c431757.jpg  OIP.jpg.163d5efffd320f70f956e9a53f9cd7db.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

On ‎2‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 12:41 PM, PFOOLEY said:

Which is called the plastron.

 

Brent, you could label your piece as a xiphiplastron. :)

 

 

Softshell turtles are unusual.  The bone that is analogous (homologous?) to the xiphiplastron is the teepee-shaped bone on the lower left in this illustration.  It is apparent that the softshell turtle part in question is not appropriately called a xiphiplastron.
EDIT:  The illustration below, it turns out, has the two skeletal elements oriented in reverse, making it likely that the original find IS a xiphiplastron.

turtle_softshell_shell.jpg

  • I found this Informative 3

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

 

What seest thou else

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

---Shakespeare, The Tempest

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Harry Pristis said:

  ...It is apparent that the softshell turtle part in question is not appropriately called a xiphiplastron...

Well, forgive me :wacko:...I've always liked turtles and I have been trying to familiarize myself with anatomy and terminology. 

 

I saw a similar element here (figure 7)...

 

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/index.php/download_file/view/21199/1075/

 

...so I thought I recognized it...back to the books for me. Thanks for the insight.

  • I found this Informative 3

"I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?"  ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) 

 

New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins    

 

point.thumb.jpg.e8c20b9cd1882c9813380ade830e1f32.jpg research.jpg.932a4c776c9696d3cf6133084c2d9a84.jpg  RPV.jpg.d17a6f3deca931bfdce34e2a5f29511d.jpg  SJB.jpg.f032e0b315b0e335acf103408a762803.jpg  butterfly.jpg.71c7cc456dfbbae76f15995f00b221ff.jpg  Htoad.jpg.3d40423ae4f226cfcc7e0aba3b331565.jpg  library.jpg.56c23fbd183a19af79384c4b8c431757.jpg  OIP.jpg.163d5efffd320f70f956e9a53f9cd7db.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great info- thanks again everyone. This is such a great site with active knowledgeable users- we are very excited to be a part of this!

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I stopped by the Museum today and ran into my turtle nerd friend, Asher Lichtig. I popped open this thread and asked his opinion of the specimen in question. His response was "That is a Trionchid plastral element...the xiphiplastron." @Harry Pristis, I wanted to bring this back up because I know you love learning as much as I do. :) 

 

  • I found this Informative 2

"I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?"  ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) 

 

New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins    

 

point.thumb.jpg.e8c20b9cd1882c9813380ade830e1f32.jpg research.jpg.932a4c776c9696d3cf6133084c2d9a84.jpg  RPV.jpg.d17a6f3deca931bfdce34e2a5f29511d.jpg  SJB.jpg.f032e0b315b0e335acf103408a762803.jpg  butterfly.jpg.71c7cc456dfbbae76f15995f00b221ff.jpg  Htoad.jpg.3d40423ae4f226cfcc7e0aba3b331565.jpg  library.jpg.56c23fbd183a19af79384c4b8c431757.jpg  OIP.jpg.163d5efffd320f70f956e9a53f9cd7db.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't disagree with Asher, so I won't.  Yup, soft-shell xiphiplastron.  (One of the funniest words I know).   They vary in shape quite a bit between genera, so this one does not look like the one in Harry's photo.  

 

Good find form my perspective.  I have found lots of soft shell material, but xiphiplastron pieces are hard to come by.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I concede . . . this may be a xiphiplastron, after all.  I reviewed some of A. Lichtig's papers, and it became apparent that the illustration that I was relying upon (posted above) has the carapace and the plastron reversed!  I do love learning, PF, so thank you for leading me to that new understanding.  

More than my coming to a new understanding, I hate to see mis-understanding passed along with confidence.  I will have to consider how to correct, even enhance, the otherwise useful illustration and to correct my error.

 

 

Capture_eocene_Axestemys.JPG

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

 

What seest thou else

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

---Shakespeare, The Tempest

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got tons of respect for ya, Harry...I'm glad we could figure this one out. And you're right, softshell turtles are unusual. 

 

 

"I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?"  ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) 

 

New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins    

 

point.thumb.jpg.e8c20b9cd1882c9813380ade830e1f32.jpg research.jpg.932a4c776c9696d3cf6133084c2d9a84.jpg  RPV.jpg.d17a6f3deca931bfdce34e2a5f29511d.jpg  SJB.jpg.f032e0b315b0e335acf103408a762803.jpg  butterfly.jpg.71c7cc456dfbbae76f15995f00b221ff.jpg  Htoad.jpg.3d40423ae4f226cfcc7e0aba3b331565.jpg  library.jpg.56c23fbd183a19af79384c4b8c431757.jpg  OIP.jpg.163d5efffd320f70f956e9a53f9cd7db.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This forum (and its members) continues to amaze me! Just great info, follow-up, and obvious passion!

 

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...