Cretaceous scute to identify

[Pixpaleosky]

Help needed !

 

I prepped part of this bone with the highest difficulties because of a thin crust of iron sticking to the fossil. It comes from continental cretaceous of South of France.

Before going further I would like to identify it to assess if it is worth the trouble .

I hesitate between a Nodosauridae scute and simply a... turtle scute.

 

I took pictures of the top (under the thin remaining matrix it is all bone), sides and bottom (which is totally unprepped and may never be, just note it is flat)

 

 

[jpc]

That is a tough one.  I have no idea.

[Pixpaleosky]

@jpc I asked one of the paleontologist who discovered the remains of the nodosaur Europelta, he identified the fossil as a peripheral turtle plate.

[TeethCollector]

On 1/7/2021 at 4:36 AM, Pixpaleosky said:

I asked one of the paleontologist who discovered the remains of the nodosaur Europelta, he identified the fossil as a peripheral turtle plate.

 

How did he know whether it is a turtle or dino?