A Hollowed-Out Vertebrae??

[IdahoFossilGuy]

Hey guys and gals,

 

I am having trouble with this one..  Searched all over the internet and these forums, but to no avail.. It is about 3/4" in diameter.  Found at roughly the shoreline of what used to be ancient Lake Idaho, which apparently existed two to twelve million years ago.  What do you think?  Is it possible that it is just a hollowed-out vertebrae?  Am I way off?  Thanks in advance for any comments!

[DPS Ammonite]

It looks like a rusty metal ring. Iron? Is it malleable?

[Al Dente]

If it is bone, I would guess this is a ham bone from a sliced ham. 

[Rockwood]

I get more of an artifact feel from it than fossil. It doesn't look like bone to me.

[Taogan]

The pitting on it makes it look metal to me. Maybe a piece of a horse harness?

[Miocene_Mason]

Could it be geological, limonite replacement of say, agate?

[ynot]

5 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Could it be geological, limonite replacement of say, agate?

No, iron does not replace agate.

 

I agree with it being a rusted iron ring. See if a magnet will stick to it.

[IdahoFossilGuy]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thanks very much for your responses so far.  To answer a couple questions: no it does not stick to a magnet.  It feels very light like it would not be metal.  However, it makes sort of a tinking sound when dropped lightly onto a hard surface-- it reminds me of how fossilized wood sounds.

 

Ironically, my 7 yr old daughter saw it and slipped it right onto her finger.. now she thinks it's hers

 

Also, I would not know how to check whether or not it's malleable without risking damaging it.

 

Keep in mind, I found this in the same stratum that held tremendous amounts of sea (or massive lake) life... fish jaw bones, fish vertebrae, shells of all types, lots and lots of concretions, etc...

 

I keep asking myself, if it were bone, what would it be?  Or, if it were wood, what would it be?

[Rockwood]

It may be iron that has oxidized enough to be nonmagnetic. It would tend to seem lighter also.

On the other side, if the texture matches more definite fossils it could be a remnant of many things. 

[Taogan]

Not all metal is ferrous, if it is bronze it wouldn't be magnetic. Try scratching it with a pin on an unimportant surface. Also oxidised metal tends to be less dense.

[IdahoFossilGuy]

11 hours ago, Rockwood said:

It may be iron that has oxidized enough to be nonmagnetic. It would tend to seem lighter also.

On the other side, if the texture matches more definite fossils it could be a remnant of many things. 

Rockwood,

 

The texture and look of it does pretty well match the petrified wood that was in plentiful supply where I found this.  But then this just really gets me thinking.. what IS IT?!  If wood, how?  If bone, how?

[ynot]

Sometimes a concretion will have a less solidified center that can erode out faster than the outer parts. Maybe it is a "slice" broken out of a concretion that has weathered so only the outer layer is left.

I can not see it being wood or bone.

[Ludwigia]

Stone age wedding ring? .....Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

[Rockwood]

Loose knot holes do happen.

[ynot]

3 hours ago, Rockwood said:

Loose knot holes do happen.

Yes, but not as round as the object in question.

[IdahoFossilGuy]

Thanks to everyone who took time to respond and help me make some sense of this object.  I still don't have a definite YES, as to what it is.  But hopefully with some more research and perhaps some more digging around in the same area, the mystery can finally be solved.

 

Thanks again to the kind and generous folks on this forum!

 

PS - I welcome any future thoughts or ideas..

[RyanDye]

I can't identify something like this for a few reasons. First of all you did not provide a specific location two to twelve million years is a long time no one can look for a fossil with 8 million years of biodiversity unless they are very experienced and have encountered a similar specimen. Secondly, I can barley see the fossil at question your photo is not well lit enough to properly give you a conjecture of it's identity. Cite your sources it makes things easier. This is a science forum so please understand that what I told you is not to intimidate or make you seem incompetent

I am just teaching you what this forum has taught me so far I have done similar things. Whenever you get the information needed to deduce your fossil at question I will look further into it.

 

 

EDIT: A reference item such as a coin or ruler is always useful