Bone from the Jurassic of the Boulonnais, France

[ADfossils]

Hello!

 

I found this fossilized bone a few days ago after the big tides in the Jurassic of the Boulonnais region (North of France). I can’t seem to place it…

The cell structure looks dinosaur to me, not marine reptile.

 

Would anyone be acquainted with this type of material and have any idea?

 

Thank you very much!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paleoworld-101]

What formation is exposed here, and what are the typical vertebrate finds here? This context is probably going to be the best bet of getting a likely ID. 

I don't think marine reptile vs dinosaur can be distinguished based solely on the texture/cell structure, and this looks like a worn chunk, so identification is improbable i would think. 

[ADfossils]

Thank you! The formations are, if I’m not mistaken kimmeridgian and tithonian. Typical vertebrate finds here include ichthyosaur, plesiosaur, pliosaur, marine crocodile, lepidotes and more rare dinosaur, turtle, pterosaur… I don’t fully agree that it’s a chunkosaur. The bone is mostly eroded on one surface, the surface were the cell structure is visible. Someone with specific knowledge from these regions could identify it or at least exclude some options.

[rocket]

1 hour ago, ADfossils said:

Thank you! The formations are, if I’m not mistaken kimmeridgian and tithonian. Typical vertebrate finds here include ichthyosaur, plesiosaur, pliosaur, marine crocodile, lepidotes and more rare dinosaur, turtle, pterosaur… I don’t fully agree that it’s a chunkosaur. The bone is mostly eroded on one surface, the surface were the cell structure is visible. Someone with specific knowledge from these regions could identify it or at least exclude some options.

bones are always interesting finds

I was around boulonnais for digging several times many years ago and found some bones, too. Not very rare to find them at the coast line.

To get a better idea why you think your bone should be a non-marine-vertebrate, could you please post detail pics from the bone structure and where you see the difference to marine-vertebrates? So be can better understand and support

thanks

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

First of all, nice find! It's always great to find bone!

 

However, considering the density of bone vascularisation, I'd say this does look marine to me - which coincides well with the majority of the finds in the area... To identify it would be more difficult, since the bone is clearly partial and not a vertebra. However, considering it marine does help, because there are few bones in the marine reptiles around at the time that would match such a significant chunk. So my guess is it would probably be some part of pliosaur pelvic or pectoral girdle...

[ADfossils]

Thank you to both! 😊 I have found a lot of bones there over the course of the last few months (lots of ichthyosaur, plesiosaur, crocodile and fish material) but this one looked different. It could indeed be from one of the bigger bones of a plesiosaur! Here are some more pictures just in case it could help for further identification:

 

 

In any case, it’s a nice looking piece of bone!

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

I still support my original identification as a piece pliosaur girdle bone. However, not enough diagnostic features remain to determine exactly which it could be. My best guess, however, seeing as the bone is shaped in three directions, would de scapula.