brsr0131 Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 My friend sent me these pics of a vert that they had know idea what it was. When i looked at them i got stumped. I hope someone here could help me out. Its from Eastern North Carolina and Pliocene in age. Thanks for any help ya'll can give us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megaselachus13 Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Very curious indeed. I don't know what type of mammal it belongs, but it would be interesting to know whether the origin of the rest is marine or terrestrial. I suppose it is of marine origin but I don´t know anything about NC fossil mammals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metopocetus Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 I am pretty sure it is seal. The way that is it more flat than round is characteristic of seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
explorer1 Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 i agree with trop, their are not to many verts that look like that, it can only be seal. not sea turtle for sure or whale. neat though . also i have gravel for sale check the trade room or my posts. god hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Even allowing for the fact that processes rolled off, it doesn't quite jibe with the pictures of seal verts that I can find (which are admittedly very few). It may wind up being just that, but don't narrow the search down too much yet. "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...
Harry Pristis Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Very curious indeed. I don't know what type of mammal it belongs, but it would be interesting to know whether the origin of the rest is marine or terrestrial. I suppose it is of marine origin but I don´t know anything about NC fossil mammals. I'm not sure why 'Megaselachus13' has decided that this is a mammal. Why couldn't it be from a marine turtle? I don't know a lot of vertebrae because they almost always require time with the museum comparative collection. This one puzzles me because I see no evidence of a neural canal. Has this bone been worn so much that all evidence of neural processes are gone? Is that extreme wear the explanation for the oval appearance of the centrum? http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screweduptexan Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 harry, nice deductive thinking. I can't come up with anything clever enough for my signature...yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bmorefossil Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 its seal but its cool how it has that little wave to the one side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brsr0131 Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 Thanks for all the input. The only thing that is still bothering me is what Harry said about no evidence of a neural canal. Then with the size of it being so big makes me think that its not seal. The only input my friend got from someone was that it may be Walrus but i still dont know. I cant find any kind of references online to compare. Harry, I will have to go and take another look at it and take some more pictures to see how worn it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bj aurora Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 I have 2 very similar verts, I was told they were sacral (which eliminates the neural canal) and from a cetacean. I have no definite ID on it, so I would love to find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bj aurora Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I am correcting myself here - I found out over the weekend that they are seal, and they are sacral vertebra. Very nice specimen by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Very nice find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brsr0131 Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 Thanks for the info BJ ill be sure to pass that info on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Very nice; not a lot of pinniped material out there! "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...
bj aurora Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Glad I could be of help to someone - maybe you can guess from my ID where I hunt and and hale from! By the way, I love this site - I read a lot more than I post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoRon Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 No sacrum on a cetacean and their sacral verts look much the same as the others. Doesn't look seal, and walrus is is nearly identical for the most part, just bigger than seal. If I had to put money on it I would go with sea turtle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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