This week I have a guest mystery object for you courtesy of Rohan Long, curator of the comparative anatomy collection of the Harry Brookes Allen Museum of Anatomy and Pathology at the University of Melbourne. Here’s some context about the collection from Rohan, it may help with an identification:
Our comparative anatomy collections date from the earliest 20th century and are predominantly native Australian mammals and domestic animal species. However, the academics at the University have always had international networks, and there are species represented in the collection from all over the world. Many have been prepared in a lab for class specimens, many have been collected in the field. The latter are assumed to have been associated with Frederic Wood Jones, a British anatomist with a fondness for comparative anatomy and island collecting trips who was head of our Anatomy Department from 1930 to 1937.
Do you have any ideas what this might be? As ever, you can leave your questions, insights and suggestions in the comments box below. Have fun with this one!





Oooh! Sick!
Not a walrus, I presume.
It’s possible!
I agreed at first with this… but there is no curve whatsoever. Hummm. Also, the tip is broken off.
I am going to “stick” with Rohan and Bryant on their choice. The slight curve is enough.
I’ve not committed to any identification…
A primate arm bone?
Maybe a third arm? There’s that hollow in the end?
Hope the owner had had some fun before loosing this he must have left him quite blue
Or maybe just gave him the hump
Oops sorry just checked cetaceans of course don’t have one
Emu leg bone?
No, not leg bone from an emu or any other ratite. Even without the ends, the overall shape’s not right – we’ve got a set of emu leg bones in our collection and I’m quite familiar with them.