Odd chunk of what I think is bone. Any ideas?

[Exintrick]

So I found this while digging a target yesterday. It's piqued my interest so thought I'd post it and dip into the amazing knowledge base here. It appears to be bone, both by weight and look. However it doesn't look like it's a complete bone, while at the same time having no jagged breaks. It's also quite hard unlike the spongy old buried dog bones I usually find. The surface is overall pretty smooth so I'm thinking it was possibly water tumbled, but I dunno. First pic is for scale (those crusty round things are pennies and the nut is 1-1/2").



There's also a spot that almost looks melted (see second pic) which also makes me suspect it could be something else, but it really makes me think bone.

Any and all ideas are appreciated!!!

Thanks for looking!

Exintrick

 

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[2hawkes]

Maybe put a fire to it...if it smells like burnt hair its bone...also look for small pores like petrified piece of wood. That shows bone structure...

Good luck

Bud

 

[SkaBa]

No to fire!

Definitely looks like bone, due to the pores and overall structure. I think it is involved with a joint of some type.

 

[BosnMate]

It's bone, but from what or where I have no clue. My swag is animal and part of a joint, I'm thinking hock area, which is the rear leg in what some would call the "rear knee."

 

[ARC]

Bone

 

[MuckyBottles]

It looks like a deer vertebrae.

 

[Exintrick]

Thanks for the replies all. It looks like a joint to me also, I just think it's been around a while to have the overall smoothness it does. Gonna keep googling animal skeletons and see if I can spot a match. But until I do, I'm gonna go with insectoid alien mandible.

 

[BosnMate]

I might be all wet, but the hock on an animal is what our ankle would be. The picture of the horse shows the location of the hock.

The next photo shows the bones in the hock.
I think your bone is number three. Once again it's a swag. (Scientific wild azzed guess)

 

[MuckyBottles]

I still think it's a deer vertebrae with some wear. I see tons of these along with molars when I dig.

 

[BosnMate]

I still think it's a deer vertebrae with some wear. I see tons of these along with molars when I dig.

Vertebrae have holes for the spinal cord to pass through.
Check this link. White Tailed Deer Vertebra Gallery

I'm still guessing hock, because no hole.

 

[MuckyBottles]

Vertebrae have holes for the spinal cord to pass through.
View attachment 1056094 Check this link. White Tailed Deer Vertebra Gallery

I'm still guessing hock, because no hole.

Good point. At least we know one thing, its bone..