New Members DavidM Posted October 7, 2013 New Members Share Posted October 7, 2013 Hi all, My first post here, so forgive me if this is a silly question, I am a geologist, but no expert in fossils. I bought his fossil some time ago (labelled therapod vertebra from the US, no other info). There is a group of oval pits that intrigued me (two fairly oval and two elongate ones close together). I had intially wondered if they were predation marks, however if they were, the predator in question would have had a pretty freaky smile. My second thought was that these were some sort of pits caused by dissolution of the fossil, as they are parallel to the 'grain' of the vertebra, and my impression was that predation punctures would not be this deep. There are some similar small pits on the opposite side. Anyway, I thought I would ask for some ideas as to what they might be. Possibly nothing at all. Thanks for any help, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 It's hard to be sure from the photos but my gut reaction was that it is a plesiosaur vertebra and that those are ventral foramina. I know that 2 formaina is the standard, and a great way to ID plesiosaur verts, but I've never heard of more than 2.It doesn't strike me as a theropod vert and the color is odd for a US dinosaur bone. My best guess is an English plesiosaur but there are definitely things suspect about that ID, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 It's hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like one end is concave and the other convex. Can you confirm that please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 ...my gut reaction was that...those are ventral foramina... I'm glad to hear you say that; I thought foramina also. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgehiker Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 (edited) Depending on the position, some theropod vertebrae have holes ....a pleuroceol and foraminifera that may have eroded and look like puncture marks. However, from the photos can't tell what the specimen is from. Dino, Pleisiosaur? Are the ends convex, concave or flat? Are any exterior edges at all porous as is honeycombed? This is what the holes in a pre caudal Cretaceous theropod vertebra are like. Note, however, my specimen is Cretaceous...not sure about Jurassic Allosaurus material. Edited October 8, 2013 by Ridgehiker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members DavidM Posted October 9, 2013 Author New Members Share Posted October 9, 2013 Thanks for the replies. One end is concave and one is slightly convex, though it looks like it might have been a little eroded. It doesn't look all that porous (certainly not like that photo of the therapod vertebra. I have attached a few other photos if that helps.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Mosasaur? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadasauradon Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 They look too uniform to be bites. Two of the sets resemble plessy, but they do look odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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