Saturday 20 June 2015

Hmmm what could this be?

What we know:

My gramma Ang found it on the beach at Cape Bonaventure, Newfoundland. 


It's a partial skull. The jaw is missing.

It weighs 25 g.
It is 79 mm long.
It is 60 mm at its widest point.
The height is 40 mm tall.
The circumference is approximately 64 mm.

Side view

Bottom view 
Back view (looks like a fish...oh nooooooo!)

Bottom view

Top view

It looks like it had incisors and molars, but no canine or premolar teeth.

It also looks like its eyes were on the side of its head.

We guess that this is:

  1. Too dense, heavy and the wrong shape to be a bird's skull.
  2. Not a predator, but prey.
  3. It walks on four legs.
  4. It doesn't eat meat, so it's a herbivore.
  5. Because of it's teeth, we think it's a rodent.
But...we don't know which one!

It could be a water vole, or a rat, or a small beaver, or a marten. We searched the internet, compared measurements and pictures, and we think we are close, but are stuck.

Any ideas? What is your guess?

I'm trying to be a scientist. It's awesome/hard. 

10 comments:

  1. Looks like an awesome find.. Post when you find out what it is.. I'd love to know!

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  2. Wow! Very interesting research. Right away I thought it was a fish as well. Especially looking at that one photo....perhaps a Johnney Skulpin!!!! Now you have left me wondering!!!!

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  3. Cool specimen! Our guess is raccoon!

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  4. Hi Stacy!

    What wonderful comments! What I think is interesting about them is that the two theories suggested are totally different. One person thinks it is a fish, and another thinks it is a mammal! These are totally different classes of organisms!

    (We'll talk later about how scientists classify living organisms. This is an important and helpful system to know.)

    Here is my challenge to you:

    How will you check these theories?

    and

    When you have checked them, please share if you think the theory is correct or not, and why (show your evidence).

    If you need help, Facetime me or ask your mom and dad!

    Love you,
    Gramma Ang

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