Strange Creature in Lake Ouachita, AR

[TheRedHead]

I don't think an archeologist would think much of this outside of WOW,,,what a creature,,,,but maybe a herpetologist or ichthyologist might be of help.

Why do you say that? They're usually interested in possible fossils found in the local area. Most of them have been digging around for years and can identify just about anything. Our local paleontologists are certainly interested in the mastadon teeth we find.

 

[texdiveguy]

Why do you say that? They're usually interested in possible fossils found in the local area. Most of them have been digging around for years and can identify just about anything. Our local paleontologists are certainly interested in the mastadon teeth we find.

Since this is not a fossil and most archeologist limit their study to human relations/cultural connections,,,,just my oppion that they in general would be of little assistance.

 

[Mako Mark]

Who said turtles cant have teeth. Plenty of reptiles do. I admit that turtles seem to generally have a chitinous "beak" for cutting, but that part of the remains could have decomposed and left just the grinding aparatus attached to the bone that is not normally seen.

If you look carefully on the upper mandible, you can see an orifice that could be a nostril, which would place the nostril on about the right place for some kind of snapping turtle.

OTOH, it could be a pair of Mike Ferraras dentures that fell out before he got those comfit mouthpieces installed

 

[wreckchick]

Actually, archaeologists often have large collections of comparative bone. It's used to determine what people were eating and to figure out if bone they find is human or not and if not what it is.

You are right thought that archys are more interested in people stuff but there's a lot they do with whole slew of other sciences and if they can't help you, they'll know who can.

Rachel

 

[TheRedHead]

Who said turtles cant have teeth.

Aubie.

http://www.auburn.edu/communications_marketing/askaubie/3106.html

 

[archman]

I have a lower jaw from a black drum that looks almost exactly like that. I expect that the jaw of a freshwater drum would look similar. Does that species occur in your area?

 

[texdiveguy]

It is an interesting jaw/teeth set-up....I have never seen anything like it.....DID your dog find this on the shore...?

 

[TheRedHead]

Huge drum in Arkansas. Maybe your mystery is solved.

 

[thomjinx]

As someone else asked, are you sure it is a jaw? Could it be part of a decomposed turtle shell?

 

[Mako Mark]

Huge drum in Arkansas. Maybe your mystery is solved.

44 gallon drum, kettle drum or bongo drum??

Can someone please post a photo for us who are not sure which kind of drum we are talking about.