Mystery bone photos at Treehugger
Alan says: "So my wife and I were hiking at Multnomah Falls on the AK-Wanee trail...it is a 2 mile hike that is definitely the "less travelled." During the hike we came across this set of bones that looks like it was laid out. Couldn't find a skull. I was wondering if anyone had an idea of what type of animal this might be? This area of the hike is pretty steep either direction off the path, so wondering what animal might inhabit or wander these hills?" Photos of mystery bones
the latest
latest episodes
deer
its a 'squatch!
As you can tell by the femur it's obviously human.
(facetious)
I agree with Takuan. Those vertebrae make me think deer, too.
Bigfoot. Duh!
Bounced it off a rather knowledgeable friend of mine (the link, not the skeleton)... she says "White tailed deer, the hip bones give it away."
It's a fricking narwhal, natch.
I can't believe we are still discussing this!
I came across a skeleton recently. I'm thinking it was an opossum. I'm sure a mammologist could easily identify it by the pelvis or teeth.
not human. the pelvis is not a human pelvis. maybe it's unicorn.
Wow a chance to apply my zooarchaeological training!
My conclusions: (i) It is an artiodactyl, and (ii) someone may have deliberately arranged the bones.
Most of the bones need a much more detailed image to be identifiable (other than maybe "terrestrial mammal"). However the bone which is partially obscured by the rock is a metapodial of an artiodactyl (the last image on the link is clearer).
There are notably many bones missing. There are no femurs, humeri, radii, or ulnas, and only half of the innominate. In addition, most of the verts, most of the metapodials, one of the tibias and phalanges are missing.
The arrangement is very curious; the arrangement is roughly anatomical, however the scapulas are both facing the wrong way (heads in), the verts are unarticulated but in a line. My best guess is that scavengers carried off parts of this fellow, and then someone came along and arranged the bones. I would not have expected the degree of arrangement found here if the animal had been scavenged.
Probably a mule or black-tailed deer. I don't think you'll find whitetails in Oregon.
Based on Takuan, Arcadian, and The Life Of Bryan, I'd say that police need to be on the lookout for an antelope in the area, known to be an accomplice of the victim ("play" was apparently just a setup).
Mule DEER that is.
Polar bear?
Jackalope!
Predator
Nessy?
Minor correction to my post; there is one ulna visible (upper right, beneath the scapula).
I for one welcome our new skeleton overlyeah whatever. Will this day ever END?
Perhaps you remember the human skull found near m.falls just over a year ago:
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/may152007/skull_found_51407.php
OK, Alan, where's this "wife" you claim you had with you before you "found" the bones?
It are photoshopped. I can tell by the pixels.
Every white tailed deer that I've seen had a head.
#23: Coyotes steal the skulls to decorate their dens.
Its DB Cooper!
I've seen this before. It's a two-headed sasquatch that is usually found only in the remote regions of the Himalayas. they are migratory and they don't have any heads... just like this skeleton! Don't ask me why they are called "two-headed" when they don't have heads. They just are!
JIMMY HOFFA!
If these bones were on LOST you'd have at least a hundred responses, 99% of which would involve time travel.
With that said, I'm jumping on board with Dan and saying Polar Bear.
Maybe a hunter got tired/lazy and cut down his kill so he had less to carry? The limbs would be the meatier portions of the carcass, and the head would be saved as a trophy?
There's always...
In my experience whenever mysterious bones are found in the woods they are almost always either the remains of a previously unknown to science form of life (often a Big Foot but sometimes a run of the mill Chupacabra) or they are the remains of a person who disappeared under circumstances most mysterious and foul.
Whatever the case there's no way it's a deer. I mean, come on... let's be realistic here.
let's be realistic here.
majikal thinking. ur doing it rong.
magic deer
it's old greg, duh.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=u_hMnT44Etk
gregroll
Clearly Skuzzlebut
That rock is obscuring Patrick Duffy's head.
izzat volcanic?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Scuzzlebutt.gif
MOMMY!?
Swamp gas?
Oh no that's me.
Sorry.
this can haz Blair Witch write all over it
Scapulae and hip bones indicate cervid ungulate.
Its some kind of deer.
chupacabra
Alas! Poor Yorrick. I knew him, Horatio.
Ohhh, so that's where I left the body...
so what did you do with the head?
Grue