superdave1781 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 I found this jaw bone on the beach in Cape Hatteras...I don't think it's a fossil but appears very old and is heavy for it's size. Anyone have a clue what it could be? I apologize if the pics are too small...I'm limited with what I can do on my phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DitchDiggerUno Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Looks like a dolphin jaw bone to me. Found one similar in Mexico years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdave1781 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Well, that's what I thought at first but it doesn't look anything like what comes up when you google dolphin or porpoise jaw bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) You are probably thinking lower jaw. It is in fact the upper jaw - the maxilla. Boesse can weigh in with an ID. Edited February 17, 2013 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superdave1781 Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Oh I see it now! I was thinking lower jaw. Sorry to waste y'alls time with a non-fossil ID! Thanks everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Yup, partial rostrum of a delphinid dolphin, probably Stenella or Delphinus - it's the left maxilla and premaxilla. These two bones fuse to gether in adults, but do not fuse well to the rest of the skull, and as a consequence max/premax pairs are frequently found in the fossil record. Try the match flame method of testing for collagen to see if it's fossil or modern. That'd be an interesting find if it's fossil. Thanks for the heads up, Rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now