Very large vertebra...

[all_atv]

I found this yesterday in a creek while arrowhead hunting, It seeme to be fossilized on the outside of the bone but the marrow is kind of squishy. Its heavy but also is waterloged. Its over 11 inches long, the pic shows either a cow or deer vertebra with it. What is this from? Im thinking a mammoth or mastadon?

(First pic shows dollar bill folded for size reference)

[jdsarasin8194]

wow, and I thought a cow was a big animal, this mustve been huge

[Worthy55]

Looks like a mammoth or mastodon vert. Cool find! 8) 8) 8)

[jdsarasin8194]

Looks like a mammoth or mastodon vert. Cool find! 8) 8) 8)

If it were one of those, why does his look like it a has a much smaller pad area and larger open area?
Im confused

[naturegirl]

Awsome! Congats!!

[Worthy55]

Looks like a mammoth or mastodon vert. Cool find! 8) 8) 8)

If it were one of those, why does his look like it a has a much smaller pad area and larger open area?
Im confused

His vert is more complete than mine . As for size there will be some difference in where it is located in the spine and with the animals age. I would not rule out whale either?8) 8) 8)

[all_atv]

I thought maybe whale too but I dont think its completly fosilized as the marrow is squishy. And since I'm in Iowa We were under oceans a very long time ago so it would be completly fossilized if it were whale. But I also think there were not any animals that large it the ocens at that time. I am going to try and take it to a universitie to get it checked out.

I also found out they very rarely have the bridge attached, usuallu just the pad is intact.

[cthulhu]

If part of the object is still "squishy", I'd say it's not fossilized yet and a recent object. Unless I'm misunderstanding you.

[reef12]

Either a Mammoth or Mastodon Vert.

Some will not be totally preserved.

I have found limb bones that were still soft inside but at least 10,000 years old.

According to where they have laid all this time.

[JAVIER]

how would you go about preserving this fossil?

javier

[Harry Pristis]

This is a mammoth axis, the second vertebra from the skull.

[Harry Pristis]

This is a mammoth axis, the second vertebra from the skull.

How do you distinguish a mammoth axis from a mastodon axis?

Mammoth and mastodon axes have distinctly different shapes. See OSTEOLOGY FOR THE ARCHEOLOGIST by Stanley J. Olsen.

[Harry Pristis]

I thought maybe whale too but I dont think its completly fosilized as the marrow is squishy. And since I'm in Iowa We were under oceans a very long time ago so it would be completly fossilized if it were whale. But I also think there were not any animals that large it the ocens at that time. I am going to try and take it to a universitie to get it checked out.

I also found out they very rarely have the bridge attached, usuallu just the pad is intact.

The term "fossilized" is almost useless in a clinical sense, since a fossil is merely a preserved remnant of earlier life. The term indicates nothing about HOW the remnant is preserved.

You may be confusing "fossilized" with "mineralized" or "permineralized." Even so, the latter terms only suggest that the bone has been exposed long enough to be perfused with or replaced by some mineral (usually SiO[size=10pt]2).

But, some bones can be preserved as bone, at least the mineral portion (hydroxyapatite) of the bone. That may be why the delicate cancellous bone on the interior feels "squishy" under pressure. You may be crushing the bone with your fingers.[/size]

[steve71]

big ol mammoth type,congrats