ShadyW Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 After a great day searching the North Sulfur River, I returned home via Post Oak Creek in Sherman, looking for Eagle Ford shark teeth... which were abundant: While there I found a fossil bone like I've never seen before. It just doesn't seem to fit anywhere I can see on a Mosasaur. If anything, it looks to me like some kind of bone from a foot or toe. I'd really appreciate any ideas on this one. It's a very nice bone, and I'd love to know what it's from! Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadyW Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 You know, the more I look at it, the more it looks like it could be a Short Pastern bone from the lower leg ("toe", in fact) of a horse. According to my Google searches, fossil horses are relatively common in Texas. Does anyone here (Fruitbat?) have any knowledge of such things? Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 ShadyW... Horses were common during the Pleistocene here in Texas and their fossils do show up in the North Sulfur River deposits. However, what you've got there is definitely not from a horse. In my experience, fossils from the North Sulfur River that are as heavily mineralized as the one in the picture are almost always mosasaur/plesiosaur remains. The fossil you've pictured is fairly worn but enough of it remains for me to suspect that it is the base of a scapula (shoulder blade) from one of those Cretaceous reptiles. -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadyW Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 ShadyW...Horses were common during the Pleistocene here in Texas and their fossils do show up in the North Sulfur River deposits. However, what you've got there is definitely not from a horse. In my experience, fossils from the North Sulfur River that are as heavily mineralized as the one in the picture are almost always mosasaur/plesiosaur remains. The fossil you've pictured is fairly worn but enough of it remains for me to suspect that it is the base of a scapula (shoulder blade) from one of those Cretaceous reptiles. -Joe Thanks Joe. The bone is actually from the Post Oak Creek location in Sherman, but I presume the same applies regarding the degree of mineralization. I need to check out a whole Mosasaur skeleton somewhere. I just can't find an appropriate bone in any of the pictures I've seen online. Every complex scientific problem has an elegant and simple solution... and it is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Camel Toe?? 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...
hybodus Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Too funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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