Plant or animal? Irregular part with bi lateral teeth found in Yucatán

[BigNick]

Hi all! 
 

I found this today on the beach in Yucatan and can’t figure out what it is. It feels like bone and sounds like bone but the teeth are some what flexible. The teeth pattern and shape is irregular and one side seems to have been chopped off. Two local fisherman didn’t have a clue. I’m also not sure it was an animal by the way the teeth originate centered and think it was part of a plant. Does somebody have a clue? 

Thanks in advance! 

Niek

[Lone Hunter]

I think it's part of soft shell turtle plastron. 

[Captcrunch227]

3 hours ago, Lone Hunter said:

I think it's part of soft shell turtle plastron. 

I think you might be right. I was getting turtley vibes as well

[Mahnmut]

Hi BigNick and welcome to the forum!

Nice find.

its a hyoplastron of a seaturtle (not sure, are the terrestrial ones also called turtles in English? Or are those tortoises?)

I think its a hyoplastron because I can not see the articulation surface to the xiphiplastron one would expect on the hypoplastron.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Anatomical-composition-of-the-green-turtle-plastron_fig2_331868588

Best regards,

J

[Mahnmut]

I think rather seaturtle than softshell, because of the rather square shape, but about that I am not so sure, there are many species of softshells.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Plastron-of-Perochelys-hengshanensis-compared-with-the-plastron-in-extant-trionychids_fig3_318726466

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Mahnmut
spelling

[jpc]

Definetly a turtle belly bone

[Nimravis]

@Tidgy's Dad

[Tidgy's Dad]

On 6/15/2022 at 3:51 PM, Nimravis said:

@Tidgy's Dad

I agree with @Mahnmut. 

 

Mahnmut, in the English speaking countries the Common usage of turtle, tortoise and terrapin is not consistent and varies considerably. For example, generally in the UK tortoises are the terrestrial ones and turtles are aquatic, but some Americans will use the term "turtle" to describe all of them, including the land living members. Of course it gets even more confusing when one considers that Box turtles and their ilk are turtles and not tortoises but live on land. That's the problem with common names being used instead of scientific clades, but even those change.