This Friday I have this piece of bone I had to identify a couple of weeks ago, that I would be keen to have your thoughts on:
I know what it is and I think I know what it’s from, but any fresh ideas would be much appreciated!
Zygoma
Adventures in natural history collections
Zygoma 
*a* bone off a w**l* ?
That was my first thought, but I don’t think it is!
It looks very much like something we have here at the NHM as an aid to teach kids scientific thinking. It’s inside the head of something big. Really big. I *hear* someone’s beaten me to the answer already though….
Nope, the answer is still out there!
Ty…..c b…a of a c……n. From the scale, one of the small ones.
First bit is right, but I don’t think it’s from a c……n.
Hmm, if not a c……n then a large terrestrial quadraped mammal. It’s probably something common like a horse, cow or deer, but as it looks so much like a c……n could it be a close relative beginning with ‘H” that likes to wallow?
Hmm, I don’t think so, but will check it as an option!
Ok, scrub that idea. From the Family beginning Tr…, with three (or 4) living species?
Yes I think it’s a t******* bone but when I compare it in size to my only C******* specimen its only X2 of a juvenile P…….p……. and the shape is not a good match. That’s as far as I have got at the moment.
The shape is off for a cetacean, which opens up some interesting opportunities!
All guesses so far are in line with my own thoughts and so unfortunately I don’t think I have any fresh views to bring to the debate!
Were there very large cartilaginous structures on the head outside these bones, which dispite the claim of a Disney cartoon could never enable the owner to fly?
Nice idea! I don’t think so – although that may be the closest to what I have in mind in some ways…
I have tagged you on a picture on Facebook which shows I might have been wrong about them flying 🙂