LostandFound Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 (edited) I found this possible bone fragment yesterday while exploring the Brazos River banks in Texas. It was located on the surface of a sandbar riddled with petrified wood. It feels like a lightweight stone, and based on my limited research online, it looks like the lower section of the humerus bone. Are there any estimates on how old this item might be? If it is a human bone and it's ancient, it should go to a museum. Thoughts? Edited September 10 by LostandFound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kohler Palaeontology Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 Definitely looks bone to me, not sure what but it looks limb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kohler Palaeontology Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 From what I understand, I believe this is mammal material, which I don't study, hopefully the experts will help! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostandFound Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 I posted this under a different category yesterday, so I wanted to try again for more assistance in identifying this item I found on the banks/bottom of the Brazos River in South Texas. It was in an area riddled with petrified wood. It feels like a lightweight stone. I am no medical doctor, but based on the internet, this resembles the trochlea, a spool-shaped medial portion of the distal humerus. How long does it take for bone to get to this stage? This might help determine what it might be, too. If it's not human, what mammal could it belong to? Thank you for your assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 20 minutes ago, LostandFound said: I posted this under a different category yesterday, so I wanted to try again for more assistance in identifying this item I found on the banks/bottom of the Brazos River in South Texas. It was in an area riddled with petrified wood. It feels like a lightweight stone. I am no medical doctor, but based on the internet, this resembles the trochlea, a spool-shaped medial portion of the distal humerus. How long does it take for bone to get to this stage? This might help determine what it might be, too. If it's not human, what mammal could it belong to? Thank you for your assistance. TOPICS MERGED One topic is enough. FOSSIL ID is the correct sub-forum for this. NOT GENERAL FOSSIL DISCUSSION. Patience is required to get good information. Not everyone is online all the time. Sometimes, it can take days or weeks to get a good ID. Please be patient, and wait for more input from other members. 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...
fossilus Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 (edited) Yes to humerus. Looks like something from xenarthra. Edited September 10 by fossilus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilus Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 This is a distal megalonyx humerus that I found a few weeks ago. You might also compare to glyptodon or paramylodon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjaak Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 I wouldn’t rule out human humerus. Maybe you could have it examined in a museum? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostandFound Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 Thank you both for your input. I am working to get ahold of someone at one of my local museums for a visual analysis and will report back my findings to this thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdp Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 Distal humerus is correct. I think this is carnivoran. Closest fit I can find is actually Smilodon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjaak Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 Here is a piece of distal end of a human humerus in my collection. Just for comparison. Not really sure if it matches. I think carnivore humerus is different in size and shape and also with the foramen etc. But better show it to an expert. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilus Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 (edited) 3 hours ago, jdp said: Distal humerus is correct. I think this is carnivoran. Closest fit I can find is actually Smilodon. This is a real possibility. I thought this was too wide for the carnivores, but smilodon distal humerus is listed as having a width of 98mm to 128mm as found at rancho LA Brea. Which is like 4-5 in. Yours is even smaller, so you might also look at Jaguar. Edited September 10 by fossilus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostandFound Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 All this information is AMAZING. I have emailed my local Natural History Museum and am awaiting their response. More research shows that it's a distal humerus fracture, which isn't common in animals but more common in humans. However, an animal could have fallen down a steep hill into a riverbed and sustained the same injury. Either way, all of this detective work is quite exciting. Thanks for everyone's input. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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