Fossil whale ear bone in matrix

Description

This is the first fossil whale ear bone that I have found that's not inside a larger rock! It caught my eye and I wasn't 100% sure that it was one but I got it confirmed from a whale expert. It is late-Miocene in age and contains the tympanic bulla ear bone. Cetacean ear bones are very important as they can often be diagnostic in identifying a whale species. Watch me find it on YouTube Photogrammetry was used to create the 3D model. Age: ~6 million years old (Miocene) Location: South Island, New Zealand Size: 8cm long, 6cm wide, 5cm high (3.1" x 2.4" x 2") Weight: 310g (0.7lbs)