Fossil Find: Whiteacre Peak 12/09/12

While poking around on the summit of Whiteacre Peak (link) the other day I was looking at an interesting piece of rock when I realized that there as a lot more there than just rock. Prehistoric, fossilized bones! Holy mastodon! I don't have any idea what the bones I found came from but I can guess that they are mammalian based on the density of the inner, marrow producing bone sometimes referred to as "spongy bone" because of it's appearance. The classical white and calcific bone we more readily recognize is plain as day in contrast to the inner bone. There were several large pieces of exposed bone and fossil bone shards littered the site. This was a reminder to me that sometimes it's good to just poke around with eyes wide open.

Bone shards, denser and more calcific periosteum.

Spongy bone.

I couldn't fathom why this block of sandstone on top of a mountain was so clearly channeled by water until Jack suggested that it might be old river bottom or tidal flat.