One Mystery solved - it's a jaw fragment!

I've been working on a small block that is check-full of bones. We started uncovering a skull fragment last week, and I thought it was part of the top center of the skull, along the midline of the pineal gland. This afternoon took it off the block.

Now that I've got it off it is clear that it is something else - it's about 2/3rds of an upper jaw, left side! There are lots of teeth, or at least teeth roots, and the lower part of the nasal passage and the hard palate. The hard palate has a different shape that the one in the original skull which is apparently broken. This one is more intact.

I'll have to wait until I get back to OMSI ( I'm sick this week) to finish the teeth with a Paleotools #2 - my modified Chicago Pneumatic air scribe is just too damaging for the teeth. I learned long ago that the teeth are so fragile that only the most delicate tools can be used.

This fragment of jaw may be from the other half of the semi-skull we already have, or may be from a different one. We'll have to take some accurate measurements to tell.

Anyway, it's great to get more teeth. It has been about 2 years since we found a fragment with teeth and/or teeth roots.
Sincerely, Greg Carr