Re: paleonet big black bone

[Pristis@xxxxxxx]

The mystery bone from the beach at Atlantic City is a metapodial of an artiodactyl from an animal the size of a modern cow (Bos).  The bone is not massive enough to be Bison and too large to be a deer (Odocoileus).

If it is not a cow, other possibilities are Elk-moose (Cervalces scotti), Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), Elk (Cervus elaphus), and Muskox (Bootherium or Ovibos).

Hope this helps.
---------Harry Pristis

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In a message dated 12/18/02 8:23:05 AM Pacific Standard Time, chaisson@siena.earth.rochester.edu writes:

I need some help from the vertebrate paleontology community.

An undergraduate student found this bone:
http://www.earth.rochester.edu/ees207/Bone/mysterybone.html
on the beach at Atlantic City, New Jersey.  She was there during the
first week of December near the time of some rather vigorous East
Coast winter storms.

Does anybody have any idea what this is from or how old it might be.
The black color is pretty striking.

Thanks,
Bill Chaisson
--
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William P. Chaisson
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Rochester                       ph  585-275-0601
Rochester, New York  14627  USA            fax  585-244-5689

http://www.earth.rochester.edu/chaisson/chaisson.html