joecheck Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Hi, My 10 yr. old son found this washed up on a beach. It's a little hard to see in the picture. It is about the size of a quarter or even smaller. It looks like some sort of bird leg and foot with fingers or something. Can anyone help me identify it, please? Thx! joecheck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metopocetus Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Can you give us a better idea of location? State, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 14, 2008 Author Share Posted September 14, 2008 Can you give us a better idea of location? State, etc. It was on a deserted beach, right at the shoreline, in the bottom tip of N.J. joecheck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
va paleo Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 can you re take the picture where it light so we can see it bather and put a ruler next 2 it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 14, 2008 Author Share Posted September 14, 2008 Here are some better pics...I hope they help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 14, 2008 Author Share Posted September 14, 2008 Here are 2 enhanced photos. Maybe they will help, too?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenixflood Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Wish I could help. Could you focus in more on what you think is the foot? Sorry about asking for more pictures. It does look like some sort of bone, depending on the number of digits you may be looking at a dinosaur bone. It may even be an arm bone, but it's hard to tell. The person to ask about bird fossils on this forum is Auspex, if he don't know noone will. Welcome to the forum! The soul of a Fossil Hunter is one that is seeking, always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 With what I can see, there is little about the patterns and textures to suggest bones; but that may just be because of what I can (or can't) see. An articulated assemblage of small bones, especially bird, would be of exceding rarity. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 With what I can see, there is little about the patterns and textures to suggest bones; but that may just be because of what I can (or can't) see. An articulated assemblage of small bones, especially bird, would be of exceding rarity. Auspex, I am posting comparison photos for you to see what I suspect to be bones. The pics are really crappy compared to the rock in hand. On the comparison photos I highlighted in blue the leg bone and knee as it is wrapped around the rock. It is really 3 dimensional in hand. I circled in green the foot and digits. And, in red, I put an arrow pointing to the knee. Does this help or are the pictures just too poor? Where can I send this to make an evaluation? Thx, joecheck P.S. Thx! Phoenixflood. Any further input would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 Auspex, I just noticed on your profile that you spend time in Cape May in the fall. I live in Cape May county (Del Haven). My son found this on a beach in North Cape May. He's found other fossils around the county (and as far away as Puerto Rico) and has been featured in the Hearld newspaper for finding fossils. He is always searching for them. I wish you could see this rock. It is so much more exciting in hand. joecheck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Auspex,...I wish you could see this rock. It is so much more exciting in hand. joecheck I'll be raptor banding there Oct. 19-25, staying at "Aunt Nellie's Cottage" on Sunset (near Seagrove). From before sunrise to after sunset I'll be in the blind, but can be found after supper. If you felt like bringing it by, let me know and I'll PM you my cell phone number. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 I'll be raptor banding there Oct. 19-25, staying at "Aunt Nellie's Cottage" on Sunset (near Seagrove). From before sunrise to after sunset I'll be in the blind, but can be found after supper. If you felt like bringing it by, let me know and I'll PM you my cell phone number. Absolutly! PM me the number. Thx! joecheck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Joe Perhaps an oyster? Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 looks like some sort of sea plant life, not sure what Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 JoePerhaps an oyster? I'm not sure if you're kidding? An oyster?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 looks like some sort of sea plant life, not sure what I clearly see a leg and foot. Am I alone? What kind of plantlife would have a leg? Maybe I'm seeing things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metopocetus Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I clearly see a leg and foot. Am I alone? What kind of plantlife would have a leg? Maybe I'm seeing things? I see the leg and I see what you have circled as a foot but it just doesn't look like for a foot. Bmore might be on to something, maybe we are looking at it upside and the foot like feature is the top of some plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Like others on here, I'm skeptical of it being from a vert. fossil. Looks like a lot of extra toes for a bird foot. For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakes Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 is that your tortoise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 sorry but i dont see anything that says bone to me either. Looking at the rock surface it seems to be packed full of trace fossil marks? anyone else see this? the thing that your calling a 'leg' could infact be a trace fossil, where the animal inside has filtered through the sediment back (feeding) creating those 'toe' looking structures. Just my thoughts on the specimin "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpbowden Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Looks like a fuzzy photograph. sorry, bad old eye........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOROPUS Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Looks like a fuzzy photograph. sorry, bad old eye........... I agree with you.We are getting old, my friend! Nevertheless, with this pic, it is clear that it isn`t a bone.It could be anything else, from an oyster to a crinoid, or a plant stem.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 I see the leg and I see what you have circled as a foot but it just doesn't look like for a foot. Bmore might be on to something, maybe we are looking at it upside and the foot like feature is the top of some plant. That is possible. I could have the orientation wrong. Could a plant be fossilized like that - on top of a rock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Like others on here, I'm skeptical of it being from a vert. fossil. Looks like a lot of extra toes for a bird foot. That was my first thought. Then, I thought that maybe it was both feet together. Now, I'm not so sure about anything. I'm posting three more photos. These are all the same picture. In the 1st one I circled what made me think it was a foot. This little "U" shaped bone at the heel. In the second one I circled something that I just noticed. It looks like another bone going off to the side. And, the 3rd is just the same picture without the circling. It's a pretty high resolution picture and should allow you to see everything better. I am really not sure, anymore. But, my son is getting a kick out of reading all the posts. He wants to be a scientist when he grows up. He loves fossils. Is there anywhere that I can send this rock to be checked out? I have a place that I send meteorites to be checked out. I was wondering if there was anywhere to send fossils? Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecheck Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 is that your tortoise? No, it is from the zoo! Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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