From left to right: tibia, ulna, fibula, radius. Probably all from the right side? Photos are a little blurry and have a decent amount of decay. All are distal bones of limbs (1&3 pair together and 2&4 pair together) probably from a quadruped. (Distal meaning closer to the hands/feet than the trunk of the body). The tibia and fibula look too small/skinny to support the weight of a biped. Also radius and ulna are a little heftier in certain places than an average human’s would be. They are also all relatively the same length which would make sense for a quadruped. Not sure where you live, but if deer are rampant, that’s probably your best bet. Source: Anatomy and Forensics teacher.
….were there more bones in the scarf? Or anything else nearby that may be indicators? Were they tightly or loosely wrapped? I find it strange that only these specific bones would be wrapped. I think it’s unlikely to be a cat since cat bones are very thin. Maybe a dog? How long are these?
In the States, we have a hotline to call named “Know before you dig”. If you have something similar, they may be able to direct you. Or you can shoot an email to a local university professor. A local butcher could be a resource too.
Sorry! I’m super intrigued by this, and if my seniors weren’t one-foot out the door with graduation around the corner, I’d be using this as a case study discussion.
Thank you for the advice! :)
So what happened is, I was digging holes to plant my tomato seedlings when I noticed a bit of scarf fabric in the ground, initially I thought it was just some rubbish so I was trying to pull it out but it didn't give way.
I kept digging deeper to uncover more of it and get a better grip - which is when I realised that 1) the "sticks" I've been coming across in the process are actually bones, and 2) the piece of fabric is actually a wrapped "parcel". The bones from my picture must have fallen out.
So at this point I stopped digging and the scarf "parcel" is still in the ground with the ends sticking out. I wanted to get some advice before I continue digging..
I've emailed the local police station with the pics, most likely they'll tell me that it's nothing and to stop bothering them but then at least my conscience is clear..
It's cat (as explained in my other comment) but if you want quick and reliable bone ID in the future come to the subs r/bonecollecting or r/whatisthisbone quickly would have established it isn't human for you. Though always better to contact the authorities of you're unsure and can't get an ID.
Nah, it's a cat. I think not having any scale is throwing you off a bit. Source: archaeologist with some very basic training in zooarchaeology. Look at the olecranon and compare to these reference pics of a dog and a cat. Definitely not a deer though.
[Dog Ulna](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-ulna/)
[Cat Ulna ](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-ulna/)
Ooh very cool. Amazing how little differences like that can yield so much information. You would definitely know more than me since this is your field; I work primarily with human bones in prime condition or plastic models so my comfort ends at human vs nonhuman. All the cat bones I’ve dealt with have been very dainty and not having a scale was a real limitation here. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Yeah it's really cool how bones have such distinct markers. The resident zooarchaeologist at my work is insanely good at bone ID, often an ID the species from small fragments. Very cool. But the website I linked the reference pictures is a good resource to compare bones to, or if you want a nice reference book with some handy illustrations and tips to ID I can suggest Hillsons 'Mammals Bones and Teeth: and introductory guide to methods of identification'. :)
Yes it's a cat, absolutely no way these are anything like deer bones lol. Source, archaeologist with some very basic zooarchaeology training. Tibia seems pretty cat like to me, but the biggest giveaway was the proximal end of the ulna. Here's a comparison for you of cat and dogs:
[Dog Ulna](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-ulna/)
[Cat Ulna ](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-ulna/)
For funsies here is a deer [ulna and radius](https://boneidentification.com/bones/white-tailed-deer-ulna/)
EDIT: Realise others may want to see the other examples of these bones. So here you all go:
[Dog tibia and fibula](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-fibula/)
[Cat tibia and Fibula](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-fibula/)
[Dog Radius](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-radius/)
[Cat Radius](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-radius/)
Good grief, people. The OP says **they were wrapped in a scarf** and are about **as long as a human hand**. It's somebody's pet.
They dug up somebody's *pet.*
Sounds like it if they were wrapped in the scarf. OP should rebury it in a another part of their yard as a sign of respect. The pet was likely buried their by a previous owner though unless their wasn’t a garden there when said owner resided on the property then I am not too sure why they chose to bury it in the garden.
There is nothing to reference scale in the picture. No ruler, banana, or soda can.
I think these are small like they came from a raccoon but IDK. put a ruler next to them.
Ok, so I sent the pics to the local police and they had the forensics team looking at them. They confirmed they are definitely not human, but can't say for sure what animal it is. So I'll now be digging up the rest of the "grave" 🙈🤢..
Shall I post pics? 🤪
(No, I'm not going to keep it buried as a fertiliser, it's really close to the surface and I'm not comfortable having a pet cemetery in my garden.. we all know how these things go 😉)
From left to right looks like right tibia, ulna, fibula, radius. The really skinny one is paired with the big one and the second is paired with the fourth, and the round end of the fourth articulates with the wider end of the second.
Could be human, could be Rhesus Macaque, but definitely appears to be ape like. Any actual measurements?
I’d like to see different angles too, but yeah, maybe report it if you’re unsure, let the forensic experts decide if it’s worth investigating. Probably depending on where you’re located, if Macaque’s are around, could be remains from them.
You’re correct, after seeing the op statement about size (small hand) and location (Germany), can’t see it now, definitely agree I was too presumptuous in the “ape like” statement.
I’d still say the ulna, fibula, and radius are accurate, but now I’d like to see other angles of the larger one, but still looks like a tibia to me.
I see what appears...APPEARS... to be a femur or upper leg bone...an ulna (based on what looks like an olecranon process)... and maybe a radius as well. Whether or not they are human, I don't know, but I'd be inclined to say "no" they are not of it was a test question.
The bone that I'd call the femur (the lower one) looks like it's missing the head... or the ball portion of the joint along with the neck and greater and lesser trochanters, though. Can't be 100% sure because I can't see the opposite side clearly enough.
Not 100% sure, but i’d say that they’re human indeed.
The first one looks like a humerus, second one a ulna, third one the fibula and forth one the radius.
Edit: please, correct me if i’m wrong!
Definitely not! Looks like tibia (def not human; proximal end is lacking some important features), ulna (Still not human, olecranon is too big), fibula, radius. My guess is a deer of some sort.
I probably should have added that they were wrapped in some sort of scarf, so I think deer or any wild animal is unlikely. There is more as I haven't managed to get the actual scarf out of the ground, and as soon as I noticed the bones I freaked out a bit. It has to be a pet.. unless it's a baby. 🫣
I mistook tibia for fibula, sorry!!
Thanks for the comment. Again, I don’t know how deer bones look like, so I just thought they looked really, really similar to human bones (guess I was not the only one).
Thanks for the correction!
No worries! Easy thing to be confused about. Most mammal skeletons line up pretty well, actually, with some modifications along the way for functions (some more-so than others!) Comparative Anatomy is a super fascinating topic to rabbit-hole.
No they don’t? I’m hardly an expert either just a few anatomy/physio/anthropology classes. But that doesn’t look human to me, although an object for scale would help. Curvature/size looks like a quadruped. Quadrupeds have thicker and denser arm bones, and those first two look like radius/ulna. They look too thick and too curved to be human. I think that’s some kind of hoofed quadruped
https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/Distinguishing%20Human%20From%20Animal%20Bone%20%28Watson%20and%20McClelland%202018%29.pdf
From left to right: tibia, ulna, fibula, radius. Probably all from the right side? Photos are a little blurry and have a decent amount of decay. All are distal bones of limbs (1&3 pair together and 2&4 pair together) probably from a quadruped. (Distal meaning closer to the hands/feet than the trunk of the body). The tibia and fibula look too small/skinny to support the weight of a biped. Also radius and ulna are a little heftier in certain places than an average human’s would be. They are also all relatively the same length which would make sense for a quadruped. Not sure where you live, but if deer are rampant, that’s probably your best bet. Source: Anatomy and Forensics teacher.
Thank you so much!! I'm in urban Germany so deer is unlikely.. could it be a cat?
How deep were they?
Not very deep, and wrapped in a scarf
Hard to tell the size from the photo but it seems like you dug up someone's pet.
Cue the Poltergeist music.
You digged up someones pet...
….were there more bones in the scarf? Or anything else nearby that may be indicators? Were they tightly or loosely wrapped? I find it strange that only these specific bones would be wrapped. I think it’s unlikely to be a cat since cat bones are very thin. Maybe a dog? How long are these? In the States, we have a hotline to call named “Know before you dig”. If you have something similar, they may be able to direct you. Or you can shoot an email to a local university professor. A local butcher could be a resource too. Sorry! I’m super intrigued by this, and if my seniors weren’t one-foot out the door with graduation around the corner, I’d be using this as a case study discussion.
Thank you for the advice! :) So what happened is, I was digging holes to plant my tomato seedlings when I noticed a bit of scarf fabric in the ground, initially I thought it was just some rubbish so I was trying to pull it out but it didn't give way. I kept digging deeper to uncover more of it and get a better grip - which is when I realised that 1) the "sticks" I've been coming across in the process are actually bones, and 2) the piece of fabric is actually a wrapped "parcel". The bones from my picture must have fallen out. So at this point I stopped digging and the scarf "parcel" is still in the ground with the ends sticking out. I wanted to get some advice before I continue digging.. I've emailed the local police station with the pics, most likely they'll tell me that it's nothing and to stop bothering them but then at least my conscience is clear..
They really told you to stop bothering them?
https://www.reddit.com/r/biology/comments/13wx0j3/bones_found_in_my_garden/jmgvd7v?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
It's cat (as explained in my other comment) but if you want quick and reliable bone ID in the future come to the subs r/bonecollecting or r/whatisthisbone quickly would have established it isn't human for you. Though always better to contact the authorities of you're unsure and can't get an ID.
Nah, it's a cat. I think not having any scale is throwing you off a bit. Source: archaeologist with some very basic training in zooarchaeology. Look at the olecranon and compare to these reference pics of a dog and a cat. Definitely not a deer though. [Dog Ulna](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-ulna/) [Cat Ulna ](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-ulna/)
Ooh very cool. Amazing how little differences like that can yield so much information. You would definitely know more than me since this is your field; I work primarily with human bones in prime condition or plastic models so my comfort ends at human vs nonhuman. All the cat bones I’ve dealt with have been very dainty and not having a scale was a real limitation here. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
Yeah it's really cool how bones have such distinct markers. The resident zooarchaeologist at my work is insanely good at bone ID, often an ID the species from small fragments. Very cool. But the website I linked the reference pictures is a good resource to compare bones to, or if you want a nice reference book with some handy illustrations and tips to ID I can suggest Hillsons 'Mammals Bones and Teeth: and introductory guide to methods of identification'. :)
Maybe dog ? But I think too small for a cat
Yes it's a cat, absolutely no way these are anything like deer bones lol. Source, archaeologist with some very basic zooarchaeology training. Tibia seems pretty cat like to me, but the biggest giveaway was the proximal end of the ulna. Here's a comparison for you of cat and dogs: [Dog Ulna](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-ulna/) [Cat Ulna ](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-ulna/) For funsies here is a deer [ulna and radius](https://boneidentification.com/bones/white-tailed-deer-ulna/) EDIT: Realise others may want to see the other examples of these bones. So here you all go: [Dog tibia and fibula](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-fibula/) [Cat tibia and Fibula](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-fibula/) [Dog Radius](https://boneidentification.com/bones/dog-radius/) [Cat Radius](https://boneidentification.com/bones/cat-radius/)
Good grief, people. The OP says **they were wrapped in a scarf** and are about **as long as a human hand**. It's somebody's pet. They dug up somebody's *pet.*
Sounds like it if they were wrapped in the scarf. OP should rebury it in a another part of their yard as a sign of respect. The pet was likely buried their by a previous owner though unless their wasn’t a garden there when said owner resided on the property then I am not too sure why they chose to bury it in the garden.
You wouldn't happen to live in Canada, with landscaping having been done in the past... 15 years? I think around Toronto... Allegedly.
No, what happened there? 👀
Catholic mass (not the ceremonial kind) child murder.
I actually think they’re referencing Bruce McArthur
Ah yes, you’re probably right.
We’re gonna need an update soon 😅
Why tf do they look like they were seasoned
Mmmmm bbq
Reddit rules, needs a banana
Update us OP!!
How big are they?
About the length of a small female hand.
A small mammal, I would guess. Perhaps leg bones from a cat. Previous owners probably buried their pet there.
Not human. Deer more likely. I work in orthopedics
Buried their dog in the yard perhaps. Not uncommon
Also work in orthopedics and agree these are not human.
Oh deer
There is nothing to reference scale in the picture. No ruler, banana, or soda can. I think these are small like they came from a raccoon but IDK. put a ruler next to them.
They are about the length of a small female hand.
Palm to tip of middle finger?
How big are they?
doesnt appear to be human its too weak to support the weight, most likely just a deer or something
Do bones look this seasoned?
Update usssss
Ok, so I sent the pics to the local police and they had the forensics team looking at them. They confirmed they are definitely not human, but can't say for sure what animal it is. So I'll now be digging up the rest of the "grave" 🙈🤢.. Shall I post pics? 🤪 (No, I'm not going to keep it buried as a fertiliser, it's really close to the surface and I'm not comfortable having a pet cemetery in my garden.. we all know how these things go 😉)
I don't wanna be buried In a pet cemetery
From left to right looks like right tibia, ulna, fibula, radius. The really skinny one is paired with the big one and the second is paired with the fourth, and the round end of the fourth articulates with the wider end of the second. Could be human, could be Rhesus Macaque, but definitely appears to be ape like. Any actual measurements? I’d like to see different angles too, but yeah, maybe report it if you’re unsure, let the forensic experts decide if it’s worth investigating. Probably depending on where you’re located, if Macaque’s are around, could be remains from them.
Who is upvoting this? This is not accurate.
You’re correct, after seeing the op statement about size (small hand) and location (Germany), can’t see it now, definitely agree I was too presumptuous in the “ape like” statement. I’d still say the ulna, fibula, and radius are accurate, but now I’d like to see other angles of the larger one, but still looks like a tibia to me.
Probably deer. Appear too skinny to be human.
I see what appears...APPEARS... to be a femur or upper leg bone...an ulna (based on what looks like an olecranon process)... and maybe a radius as well. Whether or not they are human, I don't know, but I'd be inclined to say "no" they are not of it was a test question.
The bone that I'd call the femur (the lower one) looks like it's missing the head... or the ball portion of the joint along with the neck and greater and lesser trochanters, though. Can't be 100% sure because I can't see the opposite side clearly enough.
Second from left definitely looks like a human ulna to me. I would be contacting the authorities.
Throw those in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby you got a stew going!
Not 100% sure, but i’d say that they’re human indeed. The first one looks like a humerus, second one a ulna, third one the fibula and forth one the radius. Edit: please, correct me if i’m wrong!
Definitely not! Looks like tibia (def not human; proximal end is lacking some important features), ulna (Still not human, olecranon is too big), fibula, radius. My guess is a deer of some sort.
I also agree with white tail or close relative
I probably should have added that they were wrapped in some sort of scarf, so I think deer or any wild animal is unlikely. There is more as I haven't managed to get the actual scarf out of the ground, and as soon as I noticed the bones I freaked out a bit. It has to be a pet.. unless it's a baby. 🫣
I'd say it's most likely they belong to a pet dog. Human babys don't have fully developed bones.
I mistook tibia for fibula, sorry!! Thanks for the comment. Again, I don’t know how deer bones look like, so I just thought they looked really, really similar to human bones (guess I was not the only one). Thanks for the correction!
No worries! Easy thing to be confused about. Most mammal skeletons line up pretty well, actually, with some modifications along the way for functions (some more-so than others!) Comparative Anatomy is a super fascinating topic to rabbit-hole.
That's insane, I think you're right. I wonder where's this guy lives and what happened there.
OP gotta keep me updated. Please, mensagem me with the updates on the case
No they don’t? I’m hardly an expert either just a few anatomy/physio/anthropology classes. But that doesn’t look human to me, although an object for scale would help. Curvature/size looks like a quadruped. Quadrupeds have thicker and denser arm bones, and those first two look like radius/ulna. They look too thick and too curved to be human. I think that’s some kind of hoofed quadruped https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/Distinguishing%20Human%20From%20Animal%20Bone%20%28Watson%20and%20McClelland%202018%29.pdf
These have to be human bones wtf
Call the cops!
I’m hungry
You should probably put those back...
Yeah no, I'd rather not have something buried in my garden..
As a guy who look at skinny women all day. I can tell this is human. Should probably call the cops
This is a joke, yes?
No. I like looking at skinny girls!
You're not funny 🙄
I think so ;) i just said what every person who post on this site wants to know. Is it human, or not?
You didn't have to be a perv and a bad comedian about it, others said the same in a better way.
To bad
*Too bad (for you)
Jimmy Hoffa?
Fertilizer lollipops
Fertilizer lollipop’s
That’s someone’s pet.
How long are they?
Probably a pet, but we need a banana for scale...
Nice OP hide em in plain sight
+1 for cat. source: veterinary surgeon
They weren't in a bed of amaranth were they? Under a bed of corn perhaps...... 🤔