notextinctyet Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Hi again. Here's another recently acquired fossil. I was told that it was collected on the Caloosahatchee River, near Labelle, Florida. It's about 10 inches in length, about 1.75 inches wide at its widest, and has a pronounced curve. It's clearly a fossil bone fragment ( in two pieces, which have been glued togeher ). On the broken end, porous inner bone structure is very apparent. Identifying might be difficult from just these photos, but I was told that it's very possibly a Giant Sloth Rib. Any thoughts? Again, thanks much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notextinctyet Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 No replies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyc Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hang in there notextinctyet. I'm sure someone will have some ideas for you. It sometimes takes a while. I'm curious too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Yes, according to Greg McDonald it is sloth, probably Eremotherium. Rich The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notextinctyet Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 Thanks garyc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notextinctyet Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 (edited) Rich, thanks! Very much appreciated. It gives me a bit of a thrill to think that it's a remnant of a Giant Sloth; maybe not quite as iconic as a Saber Tooth Cat, but still a great representative of the glacial era. This will have an important spot in my small ( but growing ) fossil collection. I'm curious - is there a specific published work by George McDonald on Ground Sloths which you referenced? I'd love to be able to say, with real confidence, that it's Eremotherium. It's clearly a rib; I'd also like to nail down just which rib it is - but I'll probably have to get it examined ( in person ) by an expert, someday, to establish that. I suppose it's probably an "upper" rib? I'd like to get as much info on this fossil as I reasonably can, for my notes. And thanks again for your efforts. Edited September 10, 2013 by notextinctyet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I sent Greg the picture and talked to him. It is the head end of the rib, with the facets where the rib articulates with the thoracic vertebra. Matching it with a skeleton may enable one to place the rib in the series, but probably not to a specific position - something like "rib 9, 10, or 11". There are descriptions of the skeleton of Eremotherium, but the concentrate on the skull and the feet, which are the most diagnostic elements. There are two species of Eremotherium from North America. The earliest is E. eomigrans and the later one E. laurillardi, which is also found in Panama, Peru and Ecuador. There are no good descriptions of the ribs. Rich 2 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notextinctyet Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 Excellent! Thanks again, Rich, and please do convey my thanks to Dr. Greg McDonald. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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