Please help identify this bone

[Ocean Breeze]

Anyone help identify this bone?
We are all stabbing in the dark

Was found at the highwater line on a beach on the east Coast.

Its about 16 cms across
The first two pics are the whole thing, the third pic is a close up of what looks like fontenels, running the whole centre of the bone, and allows for the bone to have a bit of bend and 'give' in it, like an elastic spring.
The last pic is a close up of the pointy end bits

Thanks sleuths

mystery bone 001resized.jpg

mystery bone 002 resized.jpg

mystery bone 003.jpg

mystery bone 004.jpg

[Narelle01]

i've sent the photos to a scientist friend of mine, see what he comes up with!!!
I am intrigued now!

[CC]

When you guys find out please post it because I'm intrigued too.

[mazza]

The Australian Museum in Sydney should be able to help,
if you contact them by phone then email photos.

[Narelle01]

My friend said it looks like it could be from a sting ray - but his advice was to email the australian museum if it is vital!

So would you like me to do that??

[Ocean Breeze]

That would be great Narelle..
however its not at all essential. Someone found it and brought it into us
But everyone here is dying of curiosity

Maybe an unidentified species!

[Narelle01]

Ok, sent to AM to see what they think. Could only upload 1 photo, have said i have 3 more if they provide me with an email address.
here's hoping!

[Ocean Breeze]

excellent narelle.. thanks

Now we are all agog.

We should run a competition .

R-S

[RosalieM]

I just googled stingray bones and it turns out they only have cartilage...

[Debbie]

I think you will find it is part of the lower bony plate of a turtle.

Structure of the skeleton.doc

[Ocean Breeze]

Debbie

You might have to take out the prize , who knows?

[RosalieM]

After googling turtle bone images I think you are right on the money too, Debbie. Kicking myself because that was my first thought but I didn't follow it up! Ah well... such is life! I'm still interested to hear back from the Australian Museum via Narelle

[Labbie]

I for one really enjoyed that thread. Well done Debbie That was just great.

[lizzieb]

Fascinating!

[Narelle01]

The AM provides a great quick service, and their reply was...........(we need a drumroll smiley )

Dear Narelle,

Thank you for your enquiry. Your bones are the rather weathered sections of the lower part of a sea-turtle shell. The shell plates have worn right down to the bony layer that provides structure underneath. These bony sections are called the hypoplastron. Here is a link to one such piece:-
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=sea+turt ... 29,r:0,s:0

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Kind regards,

Martyn Robinson

Naturalist

[lizzieb]

Thankyou Rainbow-sky, thankyou Narelle, and CONGRATULATIONS Debbie, clever you

Chemtalk continually enriches my working life - gotta love it!

[Ocean Breeze]

Thank You Narelle

Could you please thank the wonderfully helpful people at the museum for us?

I have to say that networking is a brilliant tool. We can find out anything , contact anyone on the face of the earth (and beyond! ) using our networks.

(remember only 6 degrees removed from any person on Earth..actually, I have never had to go beyone 3 or 4 Deg!)

Once again, thank you to ALL who participated in this thread of amazing discovery

RS