Quiz - What Is This Thing From The Peace River?

[Harry Pristis]

Here we go. I am pretty confident that I know what this bone represents . . . I'd like to know what you think. Everyone, including experienced vert collectors are invited to take a whack at this one.

This lump of bone came out of the Peace River, so we can predict that it is no older than Late Miocene. It is totally mineralized, though it took a beating at some time(s). It is pathological -- this was an animal with a severe bone infection. (Honestly, I get a bit queasy when I think about how this animal suffered!)

What I'm looking for is an ID of the critter and an ID of the bone. Give us your logic for any guess -- a guess based on size will not win a Golden Kudo!

Two more images in another post:

Edited November 17, 2009 by Harry Pristis

[Harry Pristis]

[edd]

gator skull...?

Edited November 17, 2009 by edd

[tracer]

gator squamosal or i don't know.

[barefootgirl]

I would only be guessing that its part of the lumbar or sacral vert segment of a gator.

[Harry Pristis]

Gator is a reasonable guess . . . what is the basis for your guess? . . . What is it that you see in the images?

[barefootgirl]

I got it! It was a one eyed one horned flying purple people eater!

Or maybe it is the top of a gator skull and you can see some of the pattern in the 3rd picture. Im trying here but I have no reference material except the internet.

[tracer]

the characteristic "dimpling" or whatever it's called of the external surface of a gator's skull. and the foramena, although distorted, seem only to possibly jibe with the squamosal, by a process (pun intended) of elimination of other bones, most of are easy to eliminate as they do not have multiple openings at all in them.

link

[Harry Pristis]

I got it! It was a one eyed one horned flying purple people eater!

Or maybe it is the top of a gator skull and you can see some of the pattern in the 3rd picture. Im trying here but I have no reference material except the internet.

Good observation, 'barefootgirl'! Though 'edd' had the ID right, he didn't provide his logic. So, a Golden Kudo to 'barefootgirl'!

This is the basicranium of a crocodilian, likely from an Alligator mississippiensis.

Thanks for taking the quiz. I thought this one would be more difficult than it was.

[tracer]

congrats, bfg!

technical point, since the specimen's "tell-tale" surface is dorsal, (squamosal, fused parietals, supraoccipital, or whatever it is), and since the rest of the specimen doesn't comprise all of the ventral or lower bones, it seems a stretch to consider it a "basicranium". i'd probably call it a "chunk out of the back area of a gator skull".

good reference info

[barefootgirl]

Thanks Harry, I actually tried to learn something from this little lesson and studied many alligator and crocodile skulls on the internet.

[Auspex]

It would have taken more than paleotylenol to relieve the pain this poor gator suffered through.

[Nicholas]

How long does an animal have to suffer with an infection before it begins to show in its bones?

[Bear]

That would depend on the virulence of the infection.

[Nicholas]

That would depend on the virulence of the infection.

This is something I've always wondered about, me thinks it is time to call up one of my medical field buddies.