Whale Ear Bone

[TNCollector]

I found this in a creek in the Charleston, South Carolina area where I often find sharks teeth and whale bones. I believe the site is Oligocene/Pliocene. If found anywhere else, I would have assumed it was a piece of gravel and tossed it, but it does look a little strange. Perhaps someone with more experience in the Cenozoic can help with the ID. The item is about 3 inches at its longest dimension. Like I said, I am thinking tumbled gravel on this one, but figured that I would check before throwing it in the garden.

 

[JohnBrewer]

@Boesse

[Bronzviking]

Can you zoom in on the lower right corner of the last picture? Thanks

[ynot]

Doesn't look quite right for a cetatean ear bone.

I think it is a suggestive shaped rock.

[TNCollector]

@ynot Yeah I think I am inclined to agree. It will make a good addition to the garden stones.

 

Thanks!

[Boesse]

This is a highly waterworn periotic/petrosal of a baleen whale, and is possibly either a cetotheriid or a balaenopterid. The sulcus for the facial nerve canal is still evident, as is a bump called the lateral tuberosity, but the cochlear portion is broken and worn away.

[ynot]

3 hours ago, TNCollector said:

@ynot Yeah I think I am inclined to agree. It will make a good addition to the garden stones.

 

Thanks!

Should have waited for Boesse first.

[TNCollector]

2 hours ago, Boesse said:

This is a highly waterworn periotic/petrosal of a baleen whale, and is possibly either a cetotheriid or a balaenopterid. The sulcus for the facial nerve canal is still evident, as is a bump called the lateral tuberosity, but the cochlear portion is broken and worn away.

Thanks! Glad that I kept it and didn't toss it. This is the third one that I have found at this location.

1 hour ago, ynot said:

Should have waited for Boesse first.

Luckily I didn't throw it out yet! 

[MrR]

Based on the size and shape, I thought it could go either way. So I was either right or wrong. I feel half as good as I could about that. Congratulations to the OP for not tossing it yet. Cheers.

 

[TNCollector]

2 hours ago, MrR said:

Based on the size and shape, I thought it could go either way. So I was either right or wrong. I feel half as good as I could about that. Congratulations to the OP for not tossing it yet. Cheers.

 

Thanks! Sometimes picking up things that may or may not be a fossil turns out to be a good call, especially when collecting in areas that I am not very familiar with.