Fullux Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 I found this piece of bone in Louisville, Kentucky. Any idea how old it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Cole Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 Sorry, there don't appear to be enough identifying characteristics to determine much about this piece of bone. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debivort Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 I agree it is going to be hard to ID the species or position of this bone. At a minimum you could try a burn test to see if it is mineralized or not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 It looks like a fossil. I'm a little surprised that it would be found there though. I thought the area was mostly Paleozoic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullux Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 15 minutes ago, Brandy Cole said: Sorry, there don't appear to be enough identifying characteristics to determine much about this piece of bone. No worries, I was assuming that'd be the case. Crossing my fingers for a cretaceous site! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullux Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 Just now, Rockwood said: It looks like a fossil. I'm a little surprised that it would be found there though. I thought the area was mostly Paleozoic. I found it in a site where I usually find fossils from the Drakes formation, which is Ordovician. I was surprised too. My guess is its Pleistocene but I'm really hoping for it to be Cretaceous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullux Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 9 minutes ago, debivort said: I agree it is going to be hard to ID the species or position of this bone. At a minimum you could try a burn test to see if it is mineralized or not. Never done a burn test before, how exactly would I go about that? What should I look for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debivort Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 Just now, Fullux said: Never done a burn test before, how exactly would I go about that? What should I look for? hold up a clean flame (like the one from a butane lighter) to the part of the bone you care least about. If it is not mineralized, you'll get an unpleasant smell, like burning-hair. If it is mineralized, you shouldn't smell anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullux Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 36 minutes ago, debivort said: hold up a clean flame (like the one from a butane lighter) to the part of the bone you care least about. If it is not mineralized, you'll get an unpleasant smell, like burning-hair. If it is mineralized, you shouldn't smell anything. Ok, I'm smelling something but what I think it is is burning soap because I recently cleaned it. I burned some of the same soap I used for comparison and the two smelled exactly the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 Fortunately, there is a second test. Tap it lightly with a butter knife or the like. If the sound is high pitched like fine china would make it's mineralized. Modern bone will sound more like wood. Not much more, but a little. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilNerd Posted August 2, 2023 Share Posted August 2, 2023 (edited) 7 hours ago, Fullux said: I found it in a site where I usually find fossils from the Drakes formation, which is Ordovician. I was surprised too. My guess is its Pleistocene but I'm really hoping for it to be Cretaceous. I think this is a modern bone fragment. Water warn and discolored from the creek is my guess. Especially if you found it in your usual Drakes Formation (Upper Ordovician) spot. It’s not Cretaceous. There isn’t any Cretaceous in the Louisville area. In fact the Cretaceous is almost non existent here in Kentucky. A quick reference: https://www.uky.edu/KGS/fossils/fossil-age-Cretaceous.php I guess it could be Pleistocene. Quaternary deposits are scattered here and there. Edited August 2, 2023 by FossilNerd 1 The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil deGrasse Tyson Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullux Posted August 2, 2023 Author Share Posted August 2, 2023 15 hours ago, FossilNerd said: I think this is a modern bone fragment. Water warn and discolored from the creek is my guess. Especially if you found it in your usual Drakes Formation (Upper Ordovician) spot. It’s not Cretaceous. There isn’t any Cretaceous in the Louisville area. In fact the Cretaceous is almost non existent here in Kentucky. A quick reference: https://www.uky.edu/KGS/fossils/fossil-age-Cretaceous.php I guess it could be Pleistocene. Quaternary deposits are scattered here and there. I'm sure its not Cretaceous. I just a running gag with some of my buddies that one day I'll find a Cretacrous site in Louisville. It sure would be something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilNerd Posted August 2, 2023 Share Posted August 2, 2023 3 hours ago, Fullux said: I'm sure it’s not Cretaceous. I just a running gag with some of my buddies that one day I'll find a Cretacrous site in Louisville. It sure would be something. Gotcha. That would be something for sure. Hoping you find it one day! The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil deGrasse Tyson Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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