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Hey guys, I've been off the radar for awhile .. work you know .. been working on Siggraph for those of you who are familiar with software development. Just wanted to start a new topic here .. This one is right at 3.00" - 7.62cm C. carcharias Bahia Inglesa Formation South of Caldera Provincia Copiapo III Regio de Atacama Chile

I went to Sharktooth Hill this past weekend. Most were found in the flat lands next to the parking lot. The bottom row were found on the hill, near the port-a-potty. The hill finds have shiny enamel and better color, but the roots are more brittle. All were found in one day.

Earlier this summer I had a chance to dig at Slow Curve at Ernst Quarries. A few teeth were found along with a small dolphin vertebra, but the best find was this large whale(?) vertebra I pulled out as the rain clouds were quickly approaching. From my internet research, I believe it is a whale lumbar vertebra, but that is all I could determine. Whatever it is, I feel lucky to have found it and want to know as much as I can about it! Is there any chance to pin down anything more specific about this piece, such as species? Ideally, I would like to reconstruct the broken processes and make a display. Are there any collections of images for whale vertebrae that could also help with identification? (I couldn't find any good sources while searching) Am I correct in thinking the two parallel broken processes in the second image were the top (dorsal?) of the bone? Is it possible to tell which way the bone faced toward the head and tail originally? I appreciate any help that you guys and gals can provide! Each of the photos has a US quarter, Euro, and centimeter scale for reference. (I first tried photos with lights on both sides, but then the shape of the vertebra was very difficult to see.)

This came from Ernst Quarries last year at slow curve. I don't think this is a hooked Mako because of the micro serration on both sides of the tooth, so what is it? I know I failed to include a scale but this tooth will just cover an American Quarter. Thanks in advance!