Unusual Bones to Identify

[Harry Pristis]

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

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[DevilDog812]

starchild?

 

[Martingeetars]

Turtle claw core?

 

[Harry Pristis]

Turtle claw core?

That's a reasonable guess . . . which do you think is a turtle claw core?

 

[Martingeetars]

A=Turtle
D= sloth......... thats all I'm guessing at!

 

[Harry Pristis]

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.

 

[Tuberale]

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?

 

[RvaDiggn]

The pointy ones looks like they could be fossilized Horn Corral.
http://www.google.com/search?q=horn...&ei=1sH3TbvmK4LYgQeC9PHxCw&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQsAQ
I found lots of them when I lived in KY, they would be 3-5 million years old

 

[Harry Pristis]

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!

 

[Martingeetars]

Giant armadillo, and some type of raptor claw? Or turkey spurs.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Giant armadillo, and some type of raptor claw? Or turkey spurs.

[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​

 

[Martingeetars]

E-F turkey spurs
B-D Raptor claw core
A-C Armadillo

Purely guesses!

 

[Tuberale]

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.

 

[Harry Pristis]

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).

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[ivan salis]

got camel?

 

[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.

 

[Harry Pristis]

got camel?

Yes, Ivan, here's camel; however, camel is not among the mystery fossils A through F.

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[Harry Pristis]

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:

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[Martingeetars]

O.K. last guess to see if we can solve this boney puzzel............Tapir.

 

[Harry Pristis]

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.)