This week I have another genuine mystery object for you, but this time it’s not a skull. Any idea what this is?
As usual you can ask questions or make comments and suggestions below and I’ll do my best to respond. Happy identifying!
Zygoma
Adventures in natural history collections
Zygoma 
Humerus of a fossorial animal?
That was my first thought. Almost like a giant mole. Can you think of many fossorial animals of that size?
Humerus of a piniped?
That was my second thought! But they don’t tend to be flattened in the same plane like this.
Opus?
no, not big enough
Am I right in saying this is from a juvenile?
You are indeed!
maybe something that digs a big hole but does not live in it?
D……….c,,,,,,,?
I think that the animal in question probably does do some digging, but I can’t think of anything that fits D……….c,,,,,, off the top of my head. It’s not what I had in mind, but that doesn’t make it wrong!
I was thinking of a marine animal that digs holes
if it’s female
Aha – I did consider it, but I’m sure the bone is mammalian.
Could this humerus have had a manis at the end?
Seems rather big for a Pangolin
Hmm. Too big for a pangolin, too small for an aardvark. Is it even a placental?
It looks placental – don’t forget the sutures, it probably isn’t at full adult size.
Is it a juvenile Aardvark then?
But if it is’t marine then how about V…… k………. that would be very special.
Hmm V…… k………. – again, I can’t immediately think of which species that refers to, although it’s not the one I had in mind. I wondered if you meant the Hairy-nosed Wombat, which is now in the genus Lasiorhinus rather than Vombatus?
No I was still thinking reptile, so back to square one.
Something quite robust. A bear?
Way too flat for a bear.