Fossil Manatee Rib
Trichechus manatus
A thick, rounded rib fragment from a manatee, often confused with dugong bone.
- Typical size
- 3–10 in
- How often it turns up
- Common at fossil sites
- 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. Fresh manatee remains are protected under federal law — report them, do not collect them.
How to tell it apart
- Very dense, rounded cross-section
- Smooth outer surface, no marrow cavity
- Cream to grey
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut will rank the likely matches, then log it to your collection.
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