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New Zealand Glacier possible mammal fossil


The Jersey Devil

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Hey everyone,

I got this interesting mammal bone piece (about 3 inches across) that was found in an area with a glacier and no live animals around. Could it have originated from within the glacier or is it a modern bone? What type of bone is it and what animal did it come from?

 

Thanks everyone!

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“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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I can't help you with an ID on the bone, but if it is mammal, I think it must be modern as beside bats there are no native mammals that live in New Zealand. All other mammals came along when humans arrived.
If it is a fossil it could be Giant Moa, but let's wait to see what the experts have to say :) 

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Interested in all things paleontology, geology, zoology, evolution, natural history and science!
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15 minutes ago, ziggycardon said:

If it is a fossil it could be Giant Moa, but let's wait to see what the experts have to say

Not an expert, but I can see this being the right texture of bone alright.

@Auspex May have an opinion on it.

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New Zealand doesn't have any native terrestrial mammals but there are some native species of seal and other aquatic mammals (Dolphins, Whales, etc). Do not know much about bones but could be a possibility it is from one of these animals?

 

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May I please see pictures taken from straight-on of the unbroken 'ends'?

~.jpg

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Hi @Auspex

here are a couple more views of the ends.

 

 

1765D847-F259-495B-9DD4-2E35AE597124.jpeg

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Edited by The Jersey Devil
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“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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Google for interactive horse skeleton...  with it in your hand, maybe you can match it to one of the leg bones

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I am beyond my expertise here, but this bone strikes me as a proximal epiphysis from the humerus of a marine mammal.  I don't have anything in my collection close, but I do get a mild vibe of dugongid.  Check with @Boesse to see if he recognizes the bone.

 

dugongid_humerus_proximal.thumb.JPG.ec42f9554b6ab250821e9ac7d1a3662a.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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Compare your bone in the hand with this:

Moa Femur c.png

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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16 hours ago, Harry Pristis said:

 

I am beyond my expertise here, but this bone strikes me as a proximal epiphysis from the humerus of a marine mammal.  I don't have anything in my collection close, but I do get a mild vibe of dugongid.  Check with @Boesse to see if he recognizes the bone.

 

dugongid_humerus_proximal.thumb.JPG.ec42f9554b6ab250821e9ac7d1a3662a.JPG

 

Hmm looks very similar. Mine would be a mirror image of yours if it is from the same animal category.

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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15 hours ago, Rockwood said:

@The Jersey Devil How heavy/dense dose it feel ?

 

It is pretty dense, but the striking part is that it isn’t brittle, like I would expect a modern one to be.

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“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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11 hours ago, Auspex said:

Compare your bone in the hand with this:

Moa Femur c.png

 

Unfortunately my bone doesn’t really look like any of the ends of these Moa bones, at least from these angles.

 

I’ve recently found out that there used to be the now extinct Haast eagle in New Zealand as well. Do you know of any remains or pictures of any of the bones of this giant beast?

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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Hi @Boesse,

would you say that the bone in question matches that of any marine mammals?

 

Thanks a lot!

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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11 minutes ago, The Jersey Devil said:

 

It is pretty dense, but the striking part is that it isn’t brittle, like I would expect a modern one to be.

I thought it would be lighter.

I just did a quick test on a modern gull radius. That bone at least is fairly flexible. 

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6 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said:

Unfortunately my bone doesn’t really look like any of the ends of these Moa bones, at least from these angles.

I did not think so, either, but with the complex 3-D geometry, in-hand is the best test.

6 hours ago, The Jersey Devil said:

I’ve recently found out that there used to be the now extinct Haast eagle in New Zealand as well. Do you know of any remains or pictures of any of the bones of this giant beast?

I'll look for images, but I don't think your mystery bones are from a flying creature; too dense.

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Caution, I'm just making this up, I don't really know anything.... going on the supposition that it is of relatively recent origin and might have been transported to the site by early Maori..... and and if you're still brainstorming a list of maybes.....  are there any sea turtle bones that size?    I've googled lots of "maybe" pics but haven't found anything with a scale or dimensions.   Also, if it was a marine creature moved by Maori, why would they have lugged such a bone from the sea to the glacier (assuming its an alpine setting)?  Food?  Cold storage?  Religious talisman? 

Edited by SteveE
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Hey all, this bone is modern. The single most common mammal in NZ, beating out humans 6 to 1 or so, are domestic sheep. 90% of mammal bones you find in NZ are sheep bones. Which is precisely what this is: a proximal humeral epiphysis of a sheep.

image.thumb.png.42c1bc7ba8f5a67388ad72fe08ed5b29.png

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17 hours ago, Auspex said:

I'll look for images, but I don't think your mystery bones are from a flying creature; too dense.

 

I didn’t think it would be from an eagle, just wondering if there are any existing Haast eagle remain pictures.

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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14 hours ago, Boesse said:

Hey all, this bone is modern. The single most common mammal in NZ, beating out humans 6 to 1 or so, are domestic sheep. 90% of mammal bones you find in NZ are sheep bones. Which is precisely what this is: a proximal humeral epiphysis of a sheep.

image.thumb.png.42c1bc7ba8f5a67388ad72fe08ed5b29.png

 

Thanks! Definitely looks like a match and it explains the white coloration of the bone. I really think I may have seen more cattle than people in New Zealand at this point!

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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When I was in NZ eons ago I remember hearing the statistic that there were 2 head of cattle and 6 of sheep per capita.  Don't know of the veracity of that stat but I could easily believe it. ;)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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On 3/24/2019 at 4:38 AM, The Jersey Devil said:

Haast eagle in New Zealand

I found these:

~.jpg2.jpg

~.jpg1.jpg

 

If these guys were still around, there would be very few sheep in NZ (and they would all be very nervous...).

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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@Auspex

Thanks for the pics! If only they were still around. Not saying that would be good for the sheep haha.

“You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal

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