Fossil Roman Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I guess this is a fish scale, but it would be the first and only I have found. I thought it could also be from a turtle shell. It looks quite large for a fish. This is from Camacho formation, Uruguay. Could any of you guys with more fish experience give your opinions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 I'm not an expert of this kind of fossils, but I think the turtle shell could be out of question. What remains is fish scale and I believe it is. " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Roman Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 Thanks Abyss, so it is a fish. I have checked on Camacho formation described fish but didnt find much i could use to ID genus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike from North Queensland Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 It looks to thick to be a fish scale as the specimen is layered. It has the classic look of fish fossilised bone but from what or where - most likely from the head area. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Just how thick is it, and is the thickness uniform? "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...
Fossil Roman Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 This is a picture of the back side, doesn´t tell me much. The piece is thicker than any non fossil fish scale I have seen, maybe less than 1/16 of an inch and same thickness all along. Mike, the pattern on the left side of the first pic looks very much like a scale, does fossil fish bone really look like this in your experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 For its size, a 1/16" thickness is not outside the range for a robust fish scale, especially since the thickness is uniform. The Camacho formation is a fresh water deposit? "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...
Fossil Roman Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 (edited) No, it´s a marine deposit. Edited November 12, 2015 by Fossil Roman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilshale Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 (edited) Camacho Formation is late Miocene? This is for sure a very nice fish scale. At least fish remains are known from this formation - it is mentioned in this paper about a new Mylodontinae (page 744, lower right side). http://www.jstor.org/stable/30126379?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Attached is another paper about mesozoic fish scales for comparison. SCHULTZE H-P. 1996 - The scales of Mesozoic actinopterygians.pdf Thomas Edited November 12, 2015 by oilshale 1 Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes (Confucius, 551 BC - 479 BC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Roman Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 Thomas, thanks for the articles, both are very interesting. Yes, fish are mentioned for Camacho in all literature I´ve seen, but I can´t find species mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Roman Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Well, I´ve been reading about scales and this would be a Ctenoid scale, the most modern type of fish scales. they are typical of fish with rigid fin rays, like most Perciforms (Order), which contains about 4o%" of all existing fish. So, not very useful to identify which one this one is! It is also interesting that a fish age can be calculated quite precisely from this type of scales by reading the rings, as in tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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