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Jun 12, 2011, 06:40 PM
#1
Unusual Bones to Identify
Anyone here recognize any of these bones? They were all collected in Florida, though their relatives were more widely distributed. None is really obscure; but, you don't get a close-up like this in books or on TV.
A
B
C
D
E
F
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 13, 2011, 12:34 AM
#2
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
starchild? 
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Jun 13, 2011, 11:59 AM
#3
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
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Jun 13, 2011, 12:26 PM
#4
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
 Originally Posted by Martingeetars
Turtle claw core?
That's a reasonable guess . . . which do you think is a turtle claw core?
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 14, 2011, 06:09 AM
#5
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
A=Turtle
D= sloth......... thats all I'm guessing at!
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Jun 14, 2011, 11:09 AM
#6
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Originally Posted by Martingeetars
A=Turtle
D= sloth......... thats all I'm guessing at!
No cigar! Neither A nor D is sloth or turtle. No alligator, either.
But, don't give up. I promise that these are familiar animals all . . . even if you were not a fossil enthusiast, you would know some of these animals (relatives, anyway) from TV or books or just driving down a rural road in Florida.
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 14, 2011, 12:47 PM
#7
 Tuberale
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
While I agree the specimens are bone, I would not call them complete. Most look like bone fragments.
The photos include a ruler, so probably smaller animals. I'd guess some are still common. I've never visited Florida so have no opinion of what is common there.
Some possibilities: small bear or raccoon, small horse, dog, cat, possible fragment of tortoise shell.
Mostly from the Pleistocene?
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Jun 14, 2011, 03:18 PM
#8
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
The pointy ones looks like they could be fossilized Horn Corral.
http://www.google.com/search?q=horn+...2&ved=0CDIQsAQ
I found lots of them when I lived in KY, they would be 3-5 million years old
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Jun 14, 2011, 04:53 PM
#9
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Okaaay! I can see that y'all are thinking.
All of the bones in the images are complete. No tricks.
All of the animals represented would be too heavy for one average man to lift. In other words, they're not small like a raccoon, but they are not huge like an elephant either -- kinda' medium-large.
They are vertebrate bones -- no horn corals. All are Late Miocene to Pleistocene in age; that is, less than 10 million years old. (The horn corals you found in KY, 'RvaDiggn', are 350 to 450 million years old!)
You can figure this out!
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 15, 2011, 08:57 AM
#10
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Giant armadillo, and some type of raptor claw? Or turkey spurs.
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Jun 15, 2011, 09:31 AM
#11
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Originally Posted by Martingeetars
Giant armadillo, and some type of raptor claw? Or turkey spurs.
[font=comic sans ms][size=14pt]Can you be more specific, 'Martingeetars'? For example, which one do you suppose is a turkey spur? . . . which a giant armadillo? . . . which a raptor claw?
A B C D E F
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 15, 2011, 10:39 AM
#12
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
E-F turkey spurs
B-D Raptor claw core
A-C Armadillo
Purely guesses! 
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Jun 15, 2011, 11:30 AM
#13
Tuberale
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Is D a taursal bone? Last bone in a foot? Pointed protuberance at the tip suggests a claw attachment. At 2 inches long, would have to be roughly twice the size of a human. Dire wolf? Did they get into Florida?
Some of the rounded bones could be patellas, or knee bones. Those would be pretty good sized for most animals.
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Jun 15, 2011, 02:38 PM
#14
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Sorry, 'Martingeetars', those are incorrect guesses. Your instincts are good, though.
It appears that 'Tuberale' has the same instincts. These are not called tarsals, though. These are phalanges (toe bones), and in this case these are unguals (third toes), sometimes called claw cores.
Tarsals are ankle bones. Here's an illustration of horse "wrist" and ankle bones. (No horses among the mystery bones.)
Big clue: The three in the top row (A, B, C) are more closely related to one another than they are to those bones in the second row (D, E, F).
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 15, 2011, 02:44 PM
#15
da book worm--researcher
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
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Jun 15, 2011, 07:06 PM
#16
Tuberale
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Metatarsals are still foot bones in the human body. Phalanges are finger bones. Are you saying these are front foot of something like Mesohippus or Merychippus? If so, then looks like you have uncovered most of one foot.
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Jun 15, 2011, 07:21 PM
#17
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Originally Posted by ivan salis
got camel?
Yes, Ivan, here's camel; however, camel is not among the mystery fossils A through F.
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 15, 2011, 07:41 PM
#18
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Originally Posted by Tuberale
Metatarsals are still foot bones in the human body. Phalanges are finger bones. Are you saying these are front foot of something like Mesohippus or Merychippus? If so, then looks like you have uncovered most of one foot.
What I am saying is that these six bones are distal phalanges from several groups of animals. I've already said that there are no horses among them.
Yes, 'Tuberale', metatarsals are foot bones in many taxa; but, they are nowhere the last bone in a foot. See the cat foot illustration below:
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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Jun 16, 2011, 06:40 AM
#19
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
O.K. last guess to see if we can solve this boney puzzel............Tapir.
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Jun 16, 2011, 10:59 AM
#20
Re: Unusual Bones to Identify
Originally Posted by Martingeetars
O.K. last guess to see if we can solve this boney puzzel............Tapir.
No tapir toes among the six, Martin. You're correct to think exotic, but not too exotic.
If you saw one of these critters at the side of a rural road, your first reaction would be "Holy Cow!" But, then you'd think, "Okay, I know what that is!" (No cow toes among the six.) 
“A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.”
--Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) in "The Sign of Four"
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