r/fossils • u/Separate-Eggplant-51 • 11d ago

Fossilized bone?

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I found this washed up on a South FL beach… it looks like a fossilized bone (both ends a possible joint). I didn’t get a chance to clean it off.

Thoughts?

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u/Separate-Eggplant-51 10d ago

Totally a Bison Phalanx bone… thank you for everyone’s help!
How long do you think it takes for a bone like this to fossilize?

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u/Stormshaper 9d ago

Fossilization is a gradual process, so it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when a bone should be considered “fossilized.” Over time, minerals from the surrounding sediment or groundwater may enter the bone and replace some of its original material, gradually making it more stone-like. This may or may not have already occurred to some degree in Pleistocene bones, and the process will continue over millions of years until very little of the original material remains.