Waurika Permian microfossils

[Earendil]

Hello all,

 

I have been sorting through some more Waurika Permian micro-matrix recently, and I was excited to find not just one, but two claws in one day when I hadn't found a single one before this! One is larger than the other and more curved and fearsome looking (well, as far as microfossils go). The bigger one is just over 4mm and the smaller one is a bit over 2mm. I also included a piece which looks maybe like a weird helodus tooth, maybe a fish mouth plate, or maybe a tiny prehistoric iron. Its size is just under 4mm. I'll summon the experts who helped me out last time, @ThePhysicist and @jdp, would you mind taking a look at these? 

 

Claw # 1: 4mm 

 

Claw #2: 2mm

 

Unknown fishy bit: 4mm

That's all, thanks for looking! 

[ThePhysicist]

Yes, those are claws. My personal observation is that amphibian claws are broader and flatter, making me think these are synapsid. jdp is the true expert here so I defer to his answer if it conflicts with mine.

 

The fishy bit is indeed a fishy bit, a spine. They commonly have a bony attachment. Note that it's coated in enameloid and shiny, unlike Helodus teeth.

[Earendil]

23 hours ago, ThePhysicist said:

Yes, those are claws. My personal observation is that amphibian claws are broader and flatter, making me think these are synapsid. jdp is the true expert here so I defer to his answer if it conflicts with mine.

 

The fishy bit is indeed a fishy bit, a spine. They commonly have a bony attachment. Note that it's coated in enameloid and shiny, unlike Helodus teeth.

That's interesting, thanks! I was hoping the claws were synapsid. Maybe I can get the ID even more precise on these now that the options are narrowed down. As for the spines I can definitely see that now, I just hadn't found an example shaped like this one before.