Jump to content

Please ID?


Antonjo

Recommended Posts

Can't help with the ID. 

Looks kind of like bone, but I'm not sure. 

 

Potentially helpful  LINK

 

Split.JPG

 

  • I found this Informative 1

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shape and line reminds me of a scapula maybe? No idea of anything other than that though! Follow Fossildudes link and see if that helps?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, diginupbones said:

Looks like turtle shell

It seem much finer textured than the image I think of as turtle. Is there a simple explanation ? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without touching it, my knee-jerk reaction is flowstone....but... the "zig-zags" are like nothing I have seen in fossils...hence that reaction.

 

 After playing around with MINDAT of the area, I see a lot of Triassic brachiopods reported, but not much on vertebrates from that area.

 

In this case a "fizz test" would be my next step. Id fizz a small part of the specimen and visually compare the reaction(if any) to a sample of the substrates.

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this is a step in the direction of a scapula.

The situ it was in, loose rocky soil, or known fossiliferous formation ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hmmmm...I'm stumped, however, I do see what appears to be some crinoids in the in situ photo....this might help others narrow it down.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, diginupbones said:

Sorry not of any help on this one, I’m not sure what this is.  There is a superficial similarity to a turtle pleural (rib) but I’m doubtful - the sharp edge on the bottom doesn’t look right.

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Rockwood said:

I think this is a step in the direction of a scapula.

The situ it was in, loose rocky soil, or known fossiliferous formation ?

There are some numulite rocks there, but they are fairly common in this area

Here are two other photos from location. I'm curious about this "spongy"rock? 

DSC03743.jpg

DSC03791.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Antonjo said:

There are some numulite rocks there, but they are fairly common in this area

Here are two other photos from location. I'm curious about this "spongy"rock? 

My question was more related to how certain you are that the first post is the age of the rock and not the weevil ?

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

My question was more related to how certain you are that the first post is the age of the rock and not the weevil ?

As I know, this area is from eocene period. Weevil is random guest :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Antonjo said:

As I know

You are saying that it was recovered from within the layer and photographed on the surface, ruling out the possibility that it is a modern bone ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Rockwood said:

You are saying that it was recovered from within the layer and photographed on the surface, ruling out the possibility that it is a modern bone ?

No, I'm not ruling it out, it is find on surface as is

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Antonjo said:

No, I'm not ruling it out, it is find on surface as is

I suspect it may be modern bone, but without knowing the formation it's hard for me to say for sure.

How heavy is it ? There are some tests you can try if there is any doubt whether it is a fossil or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

I suspect it may be modern bone, but without knowing the formation it's hard for me to say for sure.

How heavy is it ? There are some tests you can try if there is any doubt whether it is a fossil or not.

It seems to me it is heavier than regular old bone, and it looks petrified 

What are the tests? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, Antonjo said:

What are the tests?

A tap test will help determine whether it is mineralized. Tap it lightly with something like a spoon. Mineralized bone will make a sound similar to what table china would make, high pitched. Modern bone will have a lower pitch, more like wood.

To test for remnant organics, hold it in the flame of a lighter and smell for something similar to burning hair. 

If the bone has been cooked the result of both tests can be compromised however.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tricky pieces these. I do believe this is fossil bone, though, but am not sure they'd be fossilised. And, while it's certainly true these are flat bones, I'm not convinced they are scapulae. Much rather, I'm thinking of bird sternum. You know the keel on a chicken breast bone? All birds have this due to their need for attachment of their flight muscles, and this, in fact, a trait inherited from their theropod ancestors. However, the zigzag pattern on the reverse of the biggest piece seems odd for a sternum. Then again, this may be just plant root etchings, or some other outcome of taphonomic processes.

 

An alternative explanation, IMO, is that these would be scutes of some kind of animal. Funnily enough, I found an undefined flat piece of something or another from a French Eocene deposit some time ago - smooth on one side, but with a ridge, as well as a bubbly texture, on the other side. Attached is a photograph (the ridge runs right to left across the middle of the scute, which measures just a couple of millimetres across). I still haven't figured out what that might be, but it just goes to show that there are a lot of different things that can be flat but have ridges running the obverse.

 

5f748ab82bcbb_unidentifiedscute.thumb.jpg.f2474860dfc828797a7b7b946055aed5.jpg

'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Mineralized bone will make a sound similar to what table china would make, high pitched.

I knocked those two pieces one with another and they surely sound like two stones, high pitched 

I tried to burn it too, and it doesn't smell like hair or nails, but somehow different 

Here are few more photos, with washed and cleaner sample

2020093016220201.jpg

2020093016220202.jpg

2020093016220301.jpg

2020093016220302.jpg

2020093016220303.jpg

  • I found this Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said:

Funnily enough, I found an undefined flat piece of something or another from a French Eocene

Could it be some coral? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Antonjo said:

Could it be some coral? 

No, it's a lacustrine deposit in my case, and as flat and smooth as a scute on the underside. I believe it's a scute of some sort, just don't know whether fish, reptile or mammal...

'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...