Mystery thing

Are we sure they're aquatic or marine in origin? Lots of weird stuff washes down rivers, especially if they run through farmland.
My first thought on this is that it looks very hooflike; I did some checking around and the vascularization seen distally in many hooves (like the second one on this page at horseshoes.com) does look similar.
See attached (also courtesy of horseshoes.com); the 'toe' of the hoof (which may often become overgrown and clawlike if not trimmed or worn away through regular activity) has the right cavity shape when you remove the coffin bone / distal phalanx.

:read:

download.php
 
.... this is getting mighty confusing; some rather good cases have been made for turtles, fish and horses ... can we possibly get a few more pics onlihne to sorth this out?
Ta
O
 
Kat,

The hoof idea is good, but the curvature and apparent "sharpness" of the "beak" don't seem to match any hoofed mammal with which I am aware. Is the beak sharp, or worn down?

I'm still going to say turtle unless I get my hands on a similar specimen. Maybe I can sweet-talk a hepetologist at school to give me more info.

Sushi and Sake,

John
 
I'm more used to vertebrate bone and teeth but my initial thoughts were along the sam lines as Tintenfisch's.

I know that area of france really well and there are a lot of goats and such like and I might have been tempted to suggest that some kind of broken and abraded horn might look similar.

The mountains there rise up rapidly from the sea and an awful lot of water can empty out of them which could lead to some things being smashed and worn down.

Actually I have a few bits and pieces lying aorund I'll have a look and see if I can't spot anything.

[edit: Nope no luck there - they are all too complete]

Emps
 
I am a meat broker, and although that amounts to a hill of beans here. I would have to say, I have no clue. I am not convinced on anything, but idea of a hoof is more aceptable from what I have seen through animal slaughters and "breaking"! Are there any reports of the chemical make-up?, or just the pics?

Sorry to intrude, because there are a lot of brilliant minds already taking a stab, but I would have to say it is a hoof/nail that has not been exposed to much wear and tear. Hence the extra curved point. Think Guiness Books "Longest Nails"
 
No intrusion at all!!

There are 2 PhD and 1 masters students working on fish gut contents for the next few years, and this sort of problem is just a taste of things to come. Classifying animals based on fragmentary remains .... it's an artform.

Myopsida seems supremely confident that this is a bit of fish, John that it's a bit of turtle, and others (like your fine self) that it's an overgrown toenail/hoof. That vascularisation/porosity must be a dead giveaway .... I don't think all the beasts in question would have structure like this; problem is I'm not familiar with horse hoofs, fish lips or turtle bits, so am in no position to comment. Would love to get to the bottom of this, but need access to museum collections to do so ...
 
Thank you! :notworth:

I do believe all species mentioned, will have a pourous make-up within these different body structures. Are there any tests to show if this is calcium, or enamel?

TF - :lol: Wie Gehts? Nein, keine Feusse!
 
I'm in the mammalian nail/claw/hoof camp too. The porous looking structure (subunguis?) does seem to have directional growth lines, unless my eyes are playing tricks with me, which would seem to be consistant with mammalian physiology.

But I could be completely wrong!

Quote on nails fronm the Uni of Colorado:

Mammalian claws are similar to claws of reptiles and birds, embracing and enhancing the tip of each digit. A claw is composed of a harder dorsal plate called the unguis and a softer ventral plate termed the subunguis. The subunguis is continued by the cushion-like pad. Mammals like dogs and cats walk on these pads. In cross-section unguis and subunguis form a U-shaped structure with the unguis enclosing the subunguis. The downward curve is caused by a higher growth rate of the upper surface of the unguis. A claw is thicker in the median line than at the sides. The sides wear more quickly than the center, producing a more or less sharp point. In addition to the protection of the digits, claws are used in many ways for climbing, digging, hanging, or grasping and even killing prey.


Here's a semi-useful nail diagram:

download.php
 
Phil,

Its the shape that has me at a loss, though. If only I had the specimen here I could give a thumbs up/thumbs down on the turtle idea. Hoofs aren't out of the question, but what mammals hang out in that region that have them? Also, is there any indication that this opbject was broken from a cloven hoof, or worn down in any way?

John
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top