NJ Possible Mastodon Find

[The Jersey Devil]

2 hours ago, frankh8147 said:

 

Joseph,

 

I brought this and a few more specimens with the same coloration. The preservation wasn't right and they all correlated to modern mammals. Since then, the bones have deteriorated slightly (where my bones that are clearly Cretaceous have not) so I fully agree with them.

 

My take on this (open to interpretation) on potential Pleistocene bone from Monmouth County is that unless something is diagnostically from a Pleistocene animal, it's not going to get identified as such. As stated by others, mineral staining is more severe here than in other locations and there is a long history of both domestic and feral animals whose bones end up up in the streams.

 

To take it a step further; every single fossil from the Pleistocene I have seen from this location is actually brown rather than black (of course the bone could be re-deposited but if that's the case, I give up). I'd be very interested in seeing a black fossil bone from this location that is diagnostically from a Pleistocene animal.

 

Again, this is all up for discussion but that's been my experience.

 

Your interpretation makes sense. Do you use the burn test often on post-Cretaceous bone?

[frankh8147]

Personally, I haven't. That's not to say it wouldn't work though..

[non-remanié]

Frank,

 

I would say  that the bone you posted is a dino bone shard, but it would help to see it in person.   

 

Also I  have some random large chunks of black Pleistocene bone.  Far from identifiable, but the bone structure and size leaves only the possibility of Pleistocene.   

 

[frankh8147]

13 hours ago, non-remanié said:

Frank,

 

I would say  that the bone you posted is a dino bone shard, but it would help to see it in person.   

 

Also I  have some random large chunks of black Pleistocene bone.  Far from identifiable, but the bone structure and size leaves only the possibility of Pleistocene.   

 

I think we talked about this one a while back, I wish I would've brought it yesterday but I'll just show it to you next time.

 

It's surprising light but of course, I would definitely appreciate you taking a look at it. Here is the inside.

[frankh8147]

One more..

[non-remanié]

These new pictures definitely make me reconsider the previous statement.  It is probably modern.  There's definitely recent bone that end up looking like this.  The other edge looked more solid.