CraigHyatt Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Certainly a modern bone. But looks like a vertebra except for the pointy part. Will research when I get home. Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigHyatt Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 By sheer luck, I found similar vertebrae from a small critter that got recently et. Looks to be a miniature of the big one I found. So the big one is just some ordinary animal. I just can't figure what that top spine is. I am missing something obvious here. Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Mostly out of my element with Texas fossils but the smaller ones definitely look like fish verts. The large one might be something like a bison vert. Will wait to see what the experts proclaim. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigHyatt Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 (edited) Thanks! The little one I don't care about. Bison seems like a good call for the bigun. Bison are still extant. That makes sense. The bone isn't mineralized at all. Also, now I understand the spike. Some bison bones from online. Edit: When I got home, I checked bison, cow, moose, etc. It seems any number of animals have vertical spikes on their vertebrae. Neck vertebrae have the spike but no ribs. Funny I never noticed mammals had spikes like that. Maybe left over from our marine origin. Edited June 15, 2016 by CraigHyatt Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavialboy Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 congrats on your great find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 As I recall the dorsal vertebrae of bison have the lengthened spinous process for the attachment of thick muscles that support the huge head. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigHyatt Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 As I recall the dorsal vertebrae of bison have the lengthened spinous process for the attachment of thick muscles that support the huge head. Cheers. -Ken Yeah. I have those on my neck, too. It's to support my giant brain. :-P Info: Craig Hyatt, retired software/electrical engineer Experience: Beginner, fossil hunting less than a year Location: Eagle Pass, TX USA on the border with Mexico, hot dry desert Formation: Escondido, Marine, Upper Cretaceous Materials: Sandstone, Mudstone, Shale, Chert, Chalk Typical: Thalassinoides, Sphenodiscus, Exogyra, Inoceramus Reference: http://txfossils.com/Txfossils.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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