Short faced bear fossils?

[fossil_sea_urchin]

Hi

I saw these "Skull pieces" for sale. The seller claims they're from the upper skull of the short faced bear, but to me they look like fragments. Does anybody know what they are.

 

Thanks in advance!

[fossil_sea_urchin]

Sorry if the pics are to small, I will try to make them bigger.

[caldigger]

42 minutes ago, fossil_sea_urchin said:

Sorry if the pics are to small, I will try to make them bigger.

And in focus please!  When you post, crop out the majority of the background to frame just the fossils. This tends to enlarge what we need to see.

Also, it is best to get pictures of items from multiple sides for ID purposes. You can get better results in making smaller groupings or individual items in the pics. This will help in the items being larger in the frame.

[fossil_sea_urchin]

Just testing

[fossil_sea_urchin]

I don't think the quality can get better.

Sorry

[FossilNerd]

59 minutes ago, fossil_sea_urchin said:

I don't think the quality can get better.

Sorry

. Still not good enough to ID.

Is the picture from the seller? Maybe you could ask them for better quality pics from different angles before you commit?

[Mark Kmiecik]

Some of the pieces resemble portions of an Arctodus skull, but without better photos I don't think that even the experts could give us a positive ID.

[fossil_sea_urchin]

I have asked the seller for pictures but I haven't got a reply

[fossil_sea_urchin]

Try these

[fossil_sea_urchin]

Plus these

[fossil_sea_urchin]

Hopefully someone can ID these @Mark Kmiecik, @FossilNerd and @caldigger

[FossilNerd]

The first picture is definitely in better focus,  but I’m not sure it’s enough to get a positive ID. The pieces do look like fossilized bone from what I can tell, but without closer pictures of each piece it’s very difficult to give an ID. That being said, I’m admittedly not an expert on bone, maybe someone will come along and recognize a piece. 

 

If it was me, I would stay away from it unless I could get individual close up pictures from the seller or hold them in hand to examine before purchasing. 

[Mark Kmiecik]

I'm not a bone guy. Definitely nowhere near being an expert. Personally, I don't see a reason to purchase skull fragments unless they will be part of a larger scientific study. It's like being an antique car buff and buying a beat-up, rusty fender from a Model-T Ford, when you don't even own one. Now, if you're doing research as to how the fender was attached to the body, then the rusty fender may be of some value, especially if it deviates from the norm. But if you can't identify it as definitely being a Model-T fender then it is of no use in the study, and not worth having for its own sake. It's like buying a used, dead cellphone battery -- no phone, just the battery. I would prefer to put the money into a "fossil jar" until I have enough to buy the whole skull. 

 

Don't get me wrong. If you're into collecting skull bits then go for it. I'm just saying that when it comes to identifying bone fragments even the pros frequently make mistakes.

[siteseer]

On 7/7/2019 at 9:54 AM, fossil_sea_urchin said:

Hi

I saw these "Skull pieces" for sale. The seller claims they're from the upper skull of the short faced bear, but to me they look like fragments. Does anybody know what they are.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Never rely on what a seller tells you.  You need to learn as much about fossils - in this case mammal bones - as the average fossil dealer (some are very knowledgeable but many rely on their sources or friends for ID's).  He's probably an honest guy but If you have no idea, you shouldn't buy it.  What backs up his claim that they are all from a short-faced bear?  Where are the specimens from?  They look like bone bits to me too.