uscedisto Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Found yesterday in a creek in the lowcountry of SC. Measures 8 3/4 inches long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 The bone appears to be a radius from something other than a common (extant) farm animal. The common farm animals have, as adults, a fused radius-ulna. No evidence of a scar, is there? The proximal end of the bone, though worn, looks to me like a horse radius. However, this would be, at 222.4mm, a very short-legged horse. It is about the right length for a tapir, though. So, that's my best guess -- tapir radius -- but, I am uncertain about the tapir part. I could be way off on the tapir part. Your images are too dark and unfocused to make out important details of the bone ends. It would be helpful to measure these bones in millimeters, rather than or along with inches. Any biological text in which to seek an ID will use the metric system. Total length, length & width of intact bone ends are important to an ID. Use at least two sources of color-corrected light to reduce shadows in your images. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) Tapir radius and ulna are strongly fused at both ends. I can't really from these photographs if there is any indication of that. Edited May 5, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscedisto Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Apologies for the picture quality; hopefully the new pics will help. The total length is 222 millimeters. The end that is intact (proxinal?) Is 65millimeters long & 31 millimeters wide. Hopefully this will aid in the i.d. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 That's just not always true, Rich . . . about the radius and ulna strong fusing at the ends. See the attached images. Uscedisto, brother, I am even less confident about my tapir guess after seeing these latest images. The distal epiphysis appears to be missing -- that's a serious detriment to an ID. Your best bet may be to take it to your museum or paleontology department where there is a comparison collection. Let us know what you find out. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscedisto Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Will do-thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Yes, take it to a museum. Nothing beats having it in hand and a good comparative collection. I have to rely on the literature these days, and it's a handicap. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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