Anna Marie Posted May 22, 2022 Share Posted May 22, 2022 Any thoughts appreciated. Can't find anything that looks like this found in Big Brook NJ. End seems too round to be in pincher? I know this is a stretch prob but the only thing I found remotely like it online was a pic of a baby Mosasaur jaw fragment. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted May 22, 2022 Share Posted May 22, 2022 Can we get a picture of the top of the item? Looking straight down onto it? 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Marie Posted May 22, 2022 Author Share Posted May 22, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted May 22, 2022 Share Posted May 22, 2022 Hmm. Interesting. I can't make out if there are teeth going into sockets. I think they are, can't quite tell, though. My vote is for a fish jaw. Wait for some of the other Big Brook regulars to chime in, though. @frankh8147 @Carl @Jeffrey P 1 2 1 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 IPFOTM -- MAY - 2024 _________________________________________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted May 22, 2022 Share Posted May 22, 2022 Interesting! Maybe enchodus jaw fragment. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted May 23, 2022 Share Posted May 23, 2022 I have something quite similar to this that I am convinced is a steinkern of a crustacean claw. But yours might be too weathered to ever be certain about the ID. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 Clearer close up of the top may help more. It also has some interesting grooves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Have had my eye in this thread for some days now, and not quite sure what to make of it, as its not an obvious case, and I'm unfortunately not well-versed enough with Big Brook to estimate how local preservational conditions might play into this. However, the various grooves seen on sides and bottom, to me, suggest indeed something more akin to a jaw structure than a crab pincer, for which I find the piece a bit too compressed/thin as well. Moreover, the top view seems to show three separate mounds, slightly inset and encircled by a border of bosses, which is very reminiscent of alveoli with teeth set inside them. The problem here is that I don't know of any jaws with alveoli marked by bosses around their circumference. In any case, this does appear to rule out mosasaur, as the root structure I'd expect to for them is absent. I therefore lean in the same direction as @Fossildude19 when he suggests fish jaw, but agree with @jonnyquest that better quality images of the top part - possibly under magnification - may prove more informative. An interesting little puzzle! 1 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Marie Posted May 25, 2022 Author Share Posted May 25, 2022 On 5/23/2022 at 8:57 PM, jonnyquest said: Clearer close up of the top may help more. It also has some interesting grooves. Will try to get better pics, thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Marie Posted May 25, 2022 Author Share Posted May 25, 2022 3 minutes ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said: Have had my eye in this thread for some days now, and not quite sure what to make of it, as its not an obvious case, and I'm unfortunately not well-versed enough with Big Brook to estimate how local preservational conditions might play into this. However, the various grooves seen on sides and bottom, to me, suggest indeed something more akin to a jaw structure than a crab pincer, for which I find the piece a bit too compressed/thin as well. Moreover, the top view seems to show three separate mounds, slightly inset and encircled by a border of bosses, which is very reminiscent of alveoli with teeth set inside them. The problem here is that I don't know of any jaws with alveoli marked by bosses around their circumference. In any case, this does appear to rule out mosasaur, as the root structure I'd expect to for them is absent. I therefore lean in the same direction as @Fossildude19 when he suggests fish jaw, but agree with @jonnyquest that better quality images of the top part - possibly under magnification - may prove more informative. An interesting little puzzle! Thanks so much for all of this. And will try for better pics to post. I had a few people on a fossil FB page suggest it could be from a Conodont? Any thoughts on that? Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Hunter Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Conodonts are micro fossils. Let's just say that isn't the most reliable source for anything in my opinion. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randyw Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 I’m leaning towards fish jaw myself.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 4 hours ago, Anna Marie said: Thanks so much for all of this. And will try for better pics to post. I had a few people on a fossil FB page suggest it could be from a Conodont? Any thoughts on that? Thanks!! 3 hours ago, Lone Hunter said: Conodonts are micro fossils. Let's just say that isn't the most reliable source for anything in my opinion. Unfortunately, I myself am not too well-versed with fish remains. But there should be plenty of more experienced members on this forum who are. In any case, It'd agree this can't be conodont, as those are indeed micro-fossils, with teeth that have a different jaw attachment. From what I understand of it, with a jaw like this, what you'd be looking for, is a bony fish... 1 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 Go to the bony fish section here: http://oceansofkansas.com to see if there's anything similar to your find. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Marie Posted May 25, 2022 Author Share Posted May 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Plax said: Go to the bony fish section here: http://oceansofkansas.com to see if there's anything similar to your find. Def seeing some similarities of some of them including Pachyrhizodus and Enchodus. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 you're welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneLastSift Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 Definitely fish jaw section, very worn but cool find. I would agree more with enchodus than pachyrhizodus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Marie Posted June 1, 2022 Author Share Posted June 1, 2022 On 5/31/2022 at 9:23 AM, OneLastSift said: Definitely fish jaw section, very worn but cool find. I would agree more with enchodus than pachyrhizodus Thanks!! And from what everyone has added and helped me with, I agree with the enchodus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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