Fossils from SC coast

[karik]

Everything was found in Edisto, SC. 

 

1. Turtle carapace? Is there any way to ID the kind of turtle? 

2. Alligator or croc scute? Possible to tell what kind of scute and whether it is gator or croc?

3. Is this a fossil? It is not dark/shiny black like the others, but it is heavy and hard.

4. Cetacean vertebrae... also not black, but heavy. Is this just much younger than the others?

5. random cetacean bone fragments?

6. ?

7. crazy rock with lots of black, very heavy, strange round thing in the middle, imprint fossils. To crack or not to crack [it open]??

 

Any help is greatly appreciated! Novice as it gets. 

[Fin Lover]

2. Gator

3. Doesn't look like a fossil to me

4. Second picture looks odd for a vert... can we see more pictures?

5. Random undiagnostic bone frags

[old bones]

4. looks like an astragalus

[old bones]

This one is a camelid astragalus from my collection.

 

Photos with measurements of all the sides might help with an ID if it is not too worn.

 

[old bones]

Can you take a photo of the other side of six?

[karik]

Camelid, holy moly. I didn't know we had camels in NA.

 

I think you're definitely right that it's likely an astragalus of some quadruped! The dimensions are about 8.8cm x 4.6 cm. Does the color indicate that it is not as old as the others? I think it's too small to be bison. Uploading more photos of the joint bone and #6. 6 is ~3.5cm x 2cm and also looks like a joint, albeit a very tiny one.

 

Thanks to both of you!!! I'm in WNC too, old bones : )

 

Cheers, 

Kari

[Fin Lover]

20 minutes ago, karik said:

Does the color indicate that it is not as old as the others?

Could just mean it came out of a different formation.  In the Summerville area, the lighter fossils are generally older.  I know there is Pleistocene (lag deposits) at Edisto, but let me see if I can find what formations are there.  

 

Edited June 28 by Fin Lover

[old bones]

18 hours ago, Fin Lover said:

Could just mean it came out of a different formation.  In the Summerville area, the lighter fossils are generally older.  I know there is Pleistocene (lag deposits) at Edisto, but let me see if I can find what formations are there.  

 

The Pleistocene material at Edisto beach is said to come from 'undetermined offshore unit'.

[Fin Lover]

6 minutes ago, old bones said:

The Pleistocene material at Edisto beach is said to come from 'undermined offshore unit'.

Thanks.  I found the formations at Folly, but not Edisto.

[old bones]

44 minutes ago, karik said:

Camelid, holy moly. I didn't know we had camels in NA.

 

I think you're definitely right that it's likely an astragalus of some quadruped! The dimensions are about 8.8cm x 4.6 cm. Does the color indicate that it is not as old as the others? I think it's too small to be bison. Uploading more photos of the joint bone and #6. 6 is ~3.5cm x 2cm and also looks like a joint, albeit a very tiny one.

 

Thanks to both of you!!! I'm in WNC too, old bones : )

 

Cheers, 

Kari

 

The measurements of the astragalus put it in range of Bison. More opinions from other members who know more than I do will help. @Harry Pristis @Shellseeker 

[karik]

[old bones]

And #6 may be an osteoderm from a giant armadillo. Again get more opinions. Nice finds!

[Fin Lover]

A lot of the formations are patchy, so they aren't all everywhere.  Here's an example:

 

You can read a lot more about the Charleston area at

https://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-ashley-phosphate-beds.html?m=1

 

Edited June 28 by Fin Lover

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, old bones said:

The measurements of the astragalus put it in range of Bison. More opinions from other members who know more than I do will help.

Agree, You have Bison

Here is one of Harry's Gallery pictures... 

 

[karik]

Thanks everyone!! Great info, @Fin Lover..delving into that now. 

 

Uploading a few more photos of the tiny one. 

[karik]

I’ve aborted my rock splitting mission for now😬. 

[old bones]

@karik

Thanks for the additional photos of #6. I no longer see it as a possible osteoderm. It may be just a worn chunk of bone, or possibly a complete bone, something like a tarsal, a wrist/ankle bone.  They are very challenging to ID.

I think you did well to collect it. I have gone back to a couple of those from my previous trips and now recognize them.

 

See some in my collection (SC): 

South Carolina Pleistocene Fossils Finds - The Fossil Forum

 

And in Harry’s bones excellent Bones album (FL):

BONES - The Fossil Forum

 

And more great South Carolina finds in Fin Lover’s album:

Fin Lover's South Carolina Finds - The Fossil Forum

 

Your Bison antiquus astragalus (that is the species to be found at Edisto Beach) is a very nice find!

 

btw, Welcome to the Forum.

[karik]

Awesome, @old bones , thanks for sharing. I actually came across your impressive collection before my recent trip! 

 

I am beyond excited about the Bison antiquus. It is more appropriate and meaningful than I can adequately express here. 

 

Thanks so much for your time!

 

- Kari

 

 

[old bones]

11 minutes ago, karik said:

Awesome, @old bones , thanks for sharing. I actually came across your impressive collection before my recent trip! 

 

I am beyond excited about the Bison antiquus. It is more appropriate and meaningful than I can adequately express here. 

 

Thanks so much for your time!

 

- Kari

 

 

You are very welcome. I am glad that we could help you!