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This looks to be bone. It could be part of a rib? It is tiny.

@lynette-luff Thank you, I have no idea about identifying fossils. Have you got any tips, even if it is to do with either bone structure appearances or identifying time periods?

Ive learned there is a technique called the tongue test . I kid you not. Apparently this us a rite of passage for us fossil hunters. You taste the fossil. If it sticks to your tongue it is a fossil. If it diesnt

@lynette-luff the tongue test is a bit of an urban myth in paleontology! While it certainly works sometimes for fossil bone specifically due to it’s porosity, there are many instances fossil bone won’t stick and many instances in which non-fossils will stick so it is very unreliable. It also is perhaps not the most hygienic thing to be doing, so I personally recommend against it!

@joe-domjan Fossils from Whitby are from the upper triassic to early jurassic if memory serves. I have not seen many of this color from there, they tend to be jet black, though I am not an expert on fossils from the site. My first reaction was echinoid spine, though it could be a fish bit as well.

@mason-hintermeister Echinoid spine looks very similar in comparison so could be a possibility. A shape like this makes me feel that it cannot be coincidentally shaped like a bone to be a spine however. I am not an expert, I am curious if there is any way to clarify that it is a fossil and not wood.

@mason-hintermeister If you happen to have any speculation, what kind of “fish bit” would you distinguish this as – Could be the fish type or area of the fish?

@joe-domjan In the fossil deposits, it is not unusual to find fish pectoral spines of similar shape, however I am unfamiliar with Jurassic fish so I can’t say if they have similar structures. I have some fish material from Whitby at home, nothing directly comparable. Fish bones are more or less the only type of vertebrate material of which I am aware which has such small, thin, delicate bones which can be found at Whitby. You might upload this to The Fossil Forum for more opinions, there are some fossil fish experts on there and one or two frequent whitby fossil hunters.

Joe apologies for the tongue test thing. I am thankful to Mason for his insight, so I dont perpetuate false information. Hehe, did I fall for it or what?

So I went back and used masonhinterw

I looked at some images using @masonhintermeisters suggestion. Echinoid spines did not match. Check out fossil Catfish spines.

Maybe rib?