--- In speeton@yahoogroups.com, "gnomon9992000" <nigel@...> wrote:
>
> I have posted some pictures of a fossil I found in the boulder
clay at
> Mappleton, south of the MOD ramp. It certainly looks like
vertebrate
> bone material and has a number of quite significant features. It
is
> roundish in section, about 9" long but obviously part of
something
> much bigger. It is slightly curved along the long axis, the top
side
> has a pronounced crest or ridge that terminates about half way
along
> (seen in section in one of the photos). The underside is slightly
> concave with two small "mounds" in the middle - but these are not
very
> clear in the pictures. I presume these may represent muscle
attachment
> points. It is certainly fossil - very heavy - not recent material -
it
> is solid rock. It also appears to have been hollow originally (and
> quite thin walled) and is now infilled with hard matrix that
contains
> some shelly material.
>
> It was eroding out of the boulder clay at beach level and within a
few
> feet where some ammonite fragments which I recognise as from
Speeton.
> In my experience material tends to stay together in the boulder
clay
> so I would guess that this fossil came from Speeton also. I
believe
> Iguanodon remains have been found at Speeton hence my speculation
of
> that genus. As far as I can tell it doesn't resemble any bones
from a
> marine reptile. As to which bone, I have no idea - possibly rib? ,
> humerus? (could the crest be the deltopectoral ridge?) or pelvic
> structure?. I am pretty sure the the fossil has enough
characteristics
> for it to be diagnosed. I guess it needs looking at by a
professional.
>
> Anyone got any ideas?

Hello Nigel
I am sorry to say I do not think your find is dino material.
I think it is the same makeup as pyritic nodules (cannon balls) but
a different shape.
If you look at the end fragment you will see about a quarter of an
inch of concentrated iron pyrites that goe's around the piece.
On a cannon ball that usually contains an Eliganticeras eligantulum
(upper lias-involute oxycone ammonite)also from the Whitby area
deposited by the last ice age on the Holderness coast you find the
same type of material.
If you like to prepare your fossils that are covered in this
material you sand the outside with wet and dry sand paper course-
medium-fine then you apply it to a pollishing machine with various
grades of abrasive untill you finnish up with a gold sheine.
Safety note ---Iron pyrites turn to sulfuric acid when the dust
contacts water so gloves/glasses and a mask must be worn.
Do I see some glaciation marks on the surface of your specemen?.
Help !! My Amature Geologist site has now been in Russian for over a
year and as I am no good with computers I am strugaling to turn it
back to English, has any one got the same problem?.

>