Large Vertebrae ID

[SeanSYW]

I know this isn't actually about a live animal as what most of the threads on this section is about, but since this is about a section of a spine I'm guessing this is the appropriate section. Found this huge vertebra while walking at Niagara on the lake (in the southern part of Ontario). The area I found it on was a high trafficked area with tons of tourists and no decent sized forested area considering the vertebra is larger than a bear's and the average moose. I'm sot entirely sure if it's fossilized or not, but if anybody could share ideas as to what it could have come from I would appreciate it greatly.

 

[Spepper]

I could easily be terribly wrong, but the "fin" on the back of it makes me think of a whale vertebra. So perhaps it came from something large and aquatic? Now that I've seen these pictures I'm just as curious to find out what it is as you are.

 

[SeanSYW]

It could be from an aquatic animal, but the only large aquatic creature in Lake Ontario is a lake sturgeon, but their vertebrae are very spiny. I have no idea what it could be at this point.

 

[Spepper]

Maybe if it's fossilized it could be from something now extinct.

 

[wil123]

maybe a large ice age sloth

 

[The Snark]

Make the trip to the university. You might have a very valuable find. Any biologist worth the price of a cup of decaf could sniff it out.

 

[SeanSYW]

That sounds like a good idea, the pros should be able to shed some light to this mystery.

 

[pitbulllady]

It does indeed resemble a small Cetacean vertebra, and it does look quite old. The complete skeleton of a Beluga whale was actually uncovered on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain back in the 1800's, leading some to speculate that perhaps the reports of a "monster", which locals refer to as "Champ", that has been allegedly sighted in the lake are actually sightings of a pod of whales which have become adapted to fresh water once the lake was isolated from the ocean. Recordings of something using echolocation in the lake seem to bolster the whale theory; see http://weirdthings.com/2009/06/vermont’s-mystery-monster/ . I would definitely take it to a museum and see if you can get an ID on it, or at least, rule out what it ISN'T.

pitbulllady

 

[SeanSYW]

Thanks it would be pretty neat to have whales adapted to freshwater in Lake Ontario and definitely not impossible. I'll hopefully find some time in the near future to find someone to ID the vertebra.