aplomado Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Need help with vertebra- I found it protruding from the Cretaceous mud at a creek in AL Saturday. I was very excited! It is about 1.75" wide at the longest, and 1" tall. So, what do I have here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Looks like shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I agree with shark 1 growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtdauber Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Probably shark, but could be other large fish. Bring it by next time you're in town and I'll clean it up for you. Nice find. -- George 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrodB Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I'm leaning more towards large fish on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Very nice find. Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msantix Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 Certainly looks fish imo....reminds me of a Concavotectum vertebra (below) but could also be shark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I am not hugely familiar with shark verts, but aren't they, in general, more flat. I am going with random non-shark fish on this one. edit: or maybe a ray. their verts are more robust, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenmaster6 Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I think a none cartilaginous fish that is large. Could be a funky shark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I would guess something similar to Xiphactinus. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie81 Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 I'm also leaning to fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vellis Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 I would say Xiphactinus too. I was looking at the replies and in the collage that Al Dente posted, the upper right and lower left corner pics are an xiphactinus audax that I collected at the NSR here in Dallas, before and after clean up. Most of the shark verts around here are thinner and do not have as much structure as yours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSRhunter Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Xiphactinus vertebrae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Another vote for X-fish. For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notidanodon Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 I have some smaller examples and they look like that so xiphactinus too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymig Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Okay, I will be the odd man out. Since you found it in Alabama and their fossils are common in your area, I'm going with mosasaur vertebrae. Many times I've wondered how much there is to know. led zeppelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Sorry Mikeymig, but mosasaur are concave on one end, and convex on the other. So it is not mosasaur. Plesiosaur is concave on both ends, but this is a good example of X-fish. 1 For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplomado Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 3 minutes ago, Ramo said: Sorry Mikeymig, but mosasaur are concave on one end, and convex on the other. So it is not mosasaur. Plesiosaur is concave on both ends, but this is a good example of X-fish. When I found it I thought it was mosasaur too... too bad! Mosasaur is my favorite prehistoric critter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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