lissa318 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 (edited) Is there a way to tell the difference between a dugong and whale rib fossil based on coloring, size, etc? I am going through a bunch of Peace River bones and wondering based on obvious differences if they are different species. Or just mineralized differently. For example... These (A) Look very different from this. "B" Edited January 13, 2016 by lissa318 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 The ends of "A" "B" As always thanks for looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 From what I understand, high-denstiy and the presence of "growth rings" is a sirenian rib trait (though the rings are not always strongly evident). A fossil's color is not an indicator either way. "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...
PaleoRon Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Cetacean bones are much more lightly constructed and usually have a "spongy" look to them. Sirenian bones are quite dense and solid looking, especially the ribs. The specimens you posted all seem to be Sirenian rib sections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 I'll second what these guys said - though some early baleen whales and Eocene archaeocetes can have sirenian-like dense rib histology. These are all sirenian ribs that you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissa318 Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 From what I understand, high-denstiy and the presence of "growth rings" is a sirenian rib trait (though the rings are not always strongly evident). A fossil's color is not an indicator either way. Cetacean bones are much more lightly constructed and usually have a "spongy" look to them. Sirenian bones are quite dense and solid looking, especially the ribs. The specimens you posted all seem to be Sirenian rib sections. I'll second what these guys said - though some early baleen whales and Eocene archaeocetes can have sirenian-like dense rib histology. These are all sirenian ribs that you have.Thank you guys so they are all unanimously confirmed as dugong. I appreciate it and have quite a few more but I'm sure they are dugong as well as they are all dense and many have visible growth rings. I was not aware that dugong bones had those and learn so much on here!Boesse, I posted what was possibly a cervical vert (convex as opposed to concave) the other day in the ID section. Would you mind looking at it for me? I would greatly value your feedback on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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