DE&i Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Interesting two stepped ridge running around the centrum any suggestions as to why @paulgdls @pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon found from the Kellaways. Regards.....D&E&i The only certainty with fossil hunting is the uncertainty. https://lnk.bio/Darren.Withers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Although it is not uncommon for plesiosaur vertebrae to be wasted, even to the extent of what would appear to be the case when simply looking at the lateral view, the bevelling on both sides of the rim would suggest something else is indeed going on there, probably some kind of pathology. I'm thinking an intermediate stage of osteoarthritis, but will be the first to admit to not having any experience with pathologies. That having been said, spinal fusion, and the diseases that cause them, are apparently not uncommon in plesiosaurs, following Sassoon (2018), "Spinal fusion in plesiosaurs: Congenital and late onset vertebral fusion in long necked plesiosaurs: The first report of spondylosis deformans in Sauropterygians". Interesting specimen! 2 '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 More sharing options...
DE&i Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share Posted March 29, 2021 Thank you @pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odonespecially as it was found in a Kellaways exposure! Regards.....D&E&i The only certainty with fossil hunting is the uncertainty. https://lnk.bio/Darren.Withers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgdls Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 I can't add anything to the reply. It does look like some form of pathology, although uniform in shape. Interesting that it comes from the Kellaways. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 So, curiosity is getting the better of me, and thus I must admit to not being familiar with Kellaways exposure Darren, could either you or Paul please explain what this exposure is, where it's located, and what makes having found this vertebra there so special? '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 More sharing options...
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