Carl Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 A friend found this bone fragment in Florida's Peace River. Various possibilities have been put forth (bird, mammal, reptile) but none confident. Anyone out there know what this is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 'Taint bird, and I doubt it's mammal... "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...
RichW9090 Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 (edited) Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is a badly broken and abraded distal TMT of Titanis:http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/fossilspeciestitaniswalleri.htm No real good feel for it, though. Some views suggest also a badly broken and abraded distal humerus of some mammal. Nope, I don't know. Edited September 25, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 (edited) Might be Calcaneum. Here is one from the Peace identified as Camel. Photo #6 seems most similar. When your only tool is a hammer.... Edited September 25, 2014 by Shellseeker The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 I have faith! Don't let me down TFF!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is a badly broken and abraded distal TMT of Titanis: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/fossilspeciestitaniswalleri.htm First thing I checked If I thought that was what it is, I'd be on the plane already! "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...
RichW9090 Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 De Plane, Boss, de plane! The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 It's certainly not a calcaneum. I am reminded of the proximal end of a peccary radius. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 (edited) The Murders in the Rue Morgue! I see where your\'re coming from, Harry, but there is just too much topography for that, from what I can tell. Edited September 26, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 There's a lot of topography, for certain. Still, it puts me in mind of a proximal radius and peccary comes as an afterthought. Would I bet the farm on it? . . . . Absolutely not. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Well, I've got a bridge I'll put up against your farm.......... The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Looks like a bison calcaneus. I have a camel calcaneus and notice some differences. Examples via the internet showed more features in common with bison. Bison, camel and horse calcaneus are very similar. Easy to get them mixed up. Thanks -- I will start comparing Bos/Bison on the net with this one. Always good to correct an ID. Still hope the Carl has a "terror bird" bone. Those are my hunting grounds and I'd have to keep an eye out for funny looking bones. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 (edited) I'm pretty sure we can rule out a calcaneum. If this is what the bone in question is, then the cross section in this image would be of the tuber calcis - which is not round as in this specimen, but rather oval to rectangular. Edited September 26, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 I'm pretty sure we can rule out a calcaneum. If this is what the bone in question is, then the cross section in this image would be of the tuber calcis - which is not round as in this specimen, but rather oval to rectangular. And, I would rule out avian tarsometatatsus, as the mystery bone has a single, thick-walled center cavity. A bird's TMT is a fused bone (multiple "centers") with thin walls: "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...
Shellseeker Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Rich, Agree that Clay's bone is not Calcaneum. It was a WAG and I quickly gave up on it when Harry said no. But I did add a Calcaneum photo to my initial response and JP indicates that it is miss-IDed as camel and more likely Bison... A previous post on the Calcaneum, http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/47134-half-of-a-large-calcaneum/?hl=calcaneum The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 This bone looks like it could be pathological to me. If that is the case, a positive ID may not be able to be reached. www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is a badly broken and abraded distal TMT of Titanis: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/fossilspeciestitaniswalleri.htm No real good feel for it, though. Some views suggest also a badly broken and abraded distal humerus of some mammal. Nope, I don't know. I keep thinking "distal humerus" is the direction to look...maybe feline? The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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