Another Phalanx

[garyc]

Here's another pleistocene phalanx I just found (left). I am posting it next to the one I found last week and have identified as either tapir or peccary metapodial. This one also is giving me a tapir feeling, but it is so much more robust. Thoughts?

Edited September 12, 2015 by garyc

[garyc]

Two more pics..

[garyc]

Just saw how blurry the first pic is. Here's a better one. Also, it measures 80mm length and 36mm greatest width.

[Harry Pristis]

Here's another pleistocene phalanx I just found (left). I am posting it next to the one I found last week and have identified as either tapir or peccary metapodial. This one also is giving me a tapir feeling, but it is so much more robust. Thoughts?

Gary . . . It's a metapodial, not a phalanx. It has a carnivore look to me - a bear metapodial I, maybe. But that's just an intuitive guess.

[garyc]

Thanks Harry. I looked through your gallery, but did not see any comparative material. Does anyone have an image I can see? The images I've found on line are not great. But so far bear seems to be the closest.

[Harry Pristis]

I don't have a good representation of NA bear metapodials, but I think these two European cave bear bones are lateral metapodials . . . that is, metapodials I or V.