Dugong Rib
Metaxytherium species
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A dense, heavy, cigar-shaped bone from an extinct sea cow, so solid it feels like stone.
- Typical size
- 3–12 in
- How often it turns up
- Fairly common
- Collecting
- Archaeological, leave in place
- Handling
- Safe to handle
Vertebrate fossils collected from state-owned land or submerged bottoms in Florida require a fossil permit from the Florida Museum of Natural History. Beach-washed finds above the waterline are generally fine, but know your site.
How to tell it apart
- Extremely dense and heavy
- Smooth cylindrical shape, often broken at both ends
- Cream to dark brown
Where to find these in Florida
Beaches rated very good or excellent for fossils. Each page shows today’s score, the best window and access details.
- Caspersen Beach · Venice
- Englewood Beach (Chadwick Park) · Englewood
- Stump Pass Beach State Park · Englewood
- Turner Beach · Captiva
- Turtle Beach · Siesta Key
Found one?
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More fossils in the field guide
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