Another mystery bone(s) from FL

[Reebs]

Hello, 

 

I also found these two bones at separate sites in manatee County, FL.  One is little bit larger than the other but they resemble each other in shape. Smaller is 3” x  2” and larger is 4” x  3”.  Are they they both the same type of bone and what from!?  Many thanks   

 

Marie 

[Reebs]

Ooh I just found a third in my collection that look the same...this grey one..

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

47 minutes ago, Reebs said:

One is little bit larger than the other but they resemble each other in shape.

You know .. I keep looking at these and think they may be 'part' of a whale periotic (ear bone) ?  @Shellseeker @digit .. what do you guys think .. the preservation is quite nice. 

 

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

Ahhhhhhhh .. I found a better reference .. much better. Thanks @Boesse .. your blog is fantastic. Again .. not 100% sure, just tossing out my first impression because of the shape and the texture of the bone. Looks like a posterior process from a whale ear bone. 

 

Cheers,

B

Image Credit: http://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2012/11/

[Reebs]

6 minutes ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said:

Ahhhhhhhh .. I found a better reference .. much better. Thanks @Boesse .. your blog is fantastic. Again .. not 100% sure, just tossing out my first impression because of the shape and the texture of the bone.

 

Cheers,

B

Image Credit: http://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2012/11/

Oooh wow cool! I absolutely feel like this is a match.  It is clear in the reference you provided from @Boesse.  Thank you both for your time and contributions to the forum for the greater knowledge of us all.  It is most appreciated. 
 

-Marie 

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

Just now, Reebs said:

Thank you both for your time and contributions to the forum for the greater knowledge of us all.  It is most appreciated. 

Sure .. don't quote me on it yet.  I would be curious if Jack @Shellseeker comes back and has similar examples in his collection. The two on top (first images) have great texture and preservation so we should be able to find a definitive answer. I've found bulla and periotics from large whales before .. just never and structures that resemble these bones. Very cool finds regardless of what they might be .... 

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Reebs]

12 minutes ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said:

Sure .. don't quote me on it yet.  I would be curious if Jack @Shellseeker comes back and has similar examples in his collection. The two on top (first images) have great texture and preservation so we should be able to find a definitive answer. I've found bulla and periotics from large whales before .. just never and structures that resemble these bones. Very cool finds regardless of what they might be .... 

 

Cheers,

Brett

My fossil mentor down here suggested they may be whale ear bones from looking at my photos but advised me to seek confirmation.  And same, I have found many bulla in my area but none of them shared the texture or shape of these.  Here’s a pic of the “typical” ones I find. And thanks! I think whatever these new ones turn out to be, are cool too. 

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, Reebs said:

My fossil mentor down here suggested they may be whale ear bones from looking at my photos but advised me to seek confirmation.  And same, I have found many bulla in my area but none of them shared the texture or shape of these.  Here’s a pic of the “typical” ones I find. And thanks! I think whatever these new ones turn out to be, are cool too. 

 

Sorry for my delay in responding.  Tympanic Bullas are the earbones of toothed whales/dolphins. The earbones that Brett is showing and you are finding come from Baleen whales.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/108655-whale-stuff/

 

I have been finding these in my Blancan (approx 2-5 mya) site primarily. They seen to differ based on the species of Baleen whale.

[Reebs]

6 minutes ago, Shellseeker said:

Tympanic Bullas are the earbones of toothed whales/dolphins. The earbones that Brett is showing and you are finding come from Baleen whales.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/108655-whale-stuff/

 

I have been finding these in my Blancan (approx 2-5 mya) site primarily. They seen to differ based on the species of Baleen whale.

Ohh gotcha! Thanks for the response.  Your clarification on this and link to thread is very helpful. 

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

8 minutes ago, Shellseeker said:

I have been finding these in my Blancan (approx 2-5 mya) site primarily. They seen to differ based on the species of Baleen whale.

No worries .. thanks Jack. I assumed you had come across these ear-bone pieces in Florida. And yeah, I snagged the first example I found. I wonder if Bobby could narrow the whale to a species level based on just those posterior process pieces. 

[Shellseeker]

2 minutes ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said:

No worries .. thanks Jack. I assumed you had come across these ear-bone pieces in Florida. And yeah, I snagged the first example I found. I wonder if Bobby could narrow the whale to a species level based on just those posterior process pieces. 

Yes,  and the 3 in the photo, very recently.

Great question!!!  The ones in my latest photo are relatively thin  !! about 1/2 the width of my previous finds... Could be because they come from juveniles or...  @Boesse

[Brett Breakin' Rocks]

Just now, Shellseeker said:

Yes,  and the 3 in the photo, very recently.

Great question!!!  The ones in my latest photo are relatively thin  !! about 1/2 the width of my previous finds... Could be because they come from juveniles or...  @Boesse

Yeah .. I was looking at some of the examples in the images I found, and some were from pygmy whales .. the posterior process at about 100 mm or 4 inches ... it is funny that we both found the references on Bobby's blog. 

 

Too bad, despite what some say about the internet of things .. it still has it's limits, with much of the research and images we use for identifications sitting behind digital walls. 

 

Thanks for the discussion link Jack !

 

Cheers,

Brett

[Shellseeker]

11 hours ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said:

Too bad, despite what some say about the internet of things .. it still has it's limits, with much of the research and images we use for identifications sitting behind digital walls. 

 

11 hours ago, Reebs said:

Ohh gotcha! Thanks for the response.  Your clarification on this and link to thread is very helpful. 

 

RATS !!!! Completely wrong again (will not be the last time!!!!) ...  Found this old pamphlet. Hope you appreciate it as much as I do.

http://floridapaleosociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/The-Plaster-Jacket-29-September-1978.pdf

and on page 12,

[Reebs]

Thanks Jack! @Shellseeker

[Boesse]

Hey all - the original specimens above are the posterior process of the earbones - actually part of the periotic AND bulla, though often just colloquially referred to as part of the former. They're slightly less diagnostic than the bulla in most cases. But, I would recognize the larger specimen anywhere: that's a dead ringer for "Halicetus ignotus" described by Kellogg from the Choptank Formation - and which Butch Dooley and I are suggesting might actually be an adult Parietobalaena in our manuscript on the Calvert mysticetes.