I’d like to start by wishing you all a very Happy New Year! This week’s mystery object is from the Dead Zoo in Dublin:
Any idea what this gnarly looking object might be?
I look forward hearing your thoughts!
Friday mystery object #477
Zygoma
Adventures in natural history collections
Zygoma 
At first glance, it looked like it might be an old roman shoe but with a closer look I don’t really know what it is but I’ll take a wild guess and ask if it isn’t a dried gill arch from a manta ray?
Not too far off!
Gill rakers of a basking shark?!
Best wishes for 2024 Dennis Nieweg
Could be 😉
Happy new year Paolo. Looks fishy, maybe gill rakers from something like a basking shark? 🤔🦈
Hmm, could be 😉
baleen-esque… filtering food for someone.
oops… didn’t notice all the elasmobranchs in the background!
Well spotted 😉
I was with Joe on thinking baleen – then noticed how thin the layer was. Plus the background did give a clue!
I’ll have to watch out for that in future 😉
Wait, wait! Don’t tell me this time! I’m going to get this first one time…if it’s the last thing I ever do. Dead objects are my passion, but I am never as quick with my thumb as your other Patreoni…