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I had the opportunity to get a behind the doors tour of Alaska’s Museum of the North while waiting for better weather in Fairbanks returning from a caribou hunt. Dr. Pat Druckenmiller, Director and Earth Sciences curator graciously offered his time for a look at what he and his grad students have been doing as well as a look at the collections room. The highlight is the thalattosaur discovered 2011 in Southeast Alaska. This is a new species and was described by Pat Druckenmiller and collaborator Neil Kelley. The detail of this fossil is striking and was beautifully preparer by JPC from the Tate Geological Museum in Casper, WY. In sharp contrast in size is the partial ichthyosaur found in 1950 and recovered in 2002. Pat said it was significant in that the fossil had stomach contents giving information on diet and what was present when this animal was alive. The lab had too much to describe here but of interest was evidence found with the dinosaur bones of bird fossil bones and tracks. These are significant in that it pushes back the date of bird fossils. Of interest to me was the collection of ammonites and I could have spent several hours if time permitted looking in every drawer. The highlight was two heterotrophs in concretions. The ice age mammal collection is famous at the Museum of the North. For me seeing the mastodon and mammoth lower jaws with their different dentition is interesting with my background as a dentist. Mastodon Mammoth Jaw collection drawer for hadrosaur From museum floor display These pictures show how the materials are archived From the lab From the museum floor displays.

Found this tooth on the Powder River in Wyoming. I don't know much but my best guess is a real young Mammoth tooth? Thanks for the help.

So it's slightly embarrassing to admit this, but after two years on the forum this is (finally) my first trip report. I've been inspired by the amazing trip write-ups that @Jared C has been giving all of us every week and figured that now that I've finally had a week of finds worth writing about this year that it was my turn to try my hand at the same. I'm 21 and still in the thick of college. I'm attending Baylor University as a Geology major right now after having switched majors at the end of my freshman year. I've always had a love for fossils and prehistoric life and for many, many years I would tell everyone I knew that I was going to grow up and be a paleontologist. Eventually that passion faded away, only to come roaring back during the early months of the COVID pandemic when I stumbled across my first mammoth bone while searching for (and failing to find) arrowheads along a section of river close to my home in southwest Houston. During a brief stint in Boy Scouts I had heard stories about mammoth bones being found in the area, but I never really believed them. I had always assumed that the only fossils to be found in Texas were in the Cretaceous and Permian rocks to the north and the west, and since I was a kid who was still young enough to rely on their parents to travel anywhere there was a fat chance of me ever getting to find any of them. But suddenly, with this one unidentifiable chunk of mammoth bone in my hand, I realized there was an entire world of fossils I had never known about not more than a 15 minute drive from my front porch. Needless to say, I was excited, and the next several months were a whirlwind of plotting locations on Google Maps, reading Hulbert's book on Florida fossil vertebrates cover to cover, scouring the USGS Pocket Texas geology map, and enduring more sunburns and mosquito bites than I ever thought possible for a single human being. The kid that was obsessed with dinosaurs had finally come back, and it wasn't long before I decided that this was what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. So, with that overly-long explanation out of the way, let me tell you about last week! I've been swamped with work for the two math courses I've been taking for transfer credit all summer, but last week I was finally able to find some time to go out fossil hunting again. Anyone who's in Texas right now knows just how bad the heat has been lately. Fortunately for me that also meant my favorite river in the world was low enough to have hopefully exposed some more Pleistocene goodies. I returned to a spot close by that I'd been to before to try my luck and see if there was anything to be found. Now, while I didn't find anything that made my jaw hit the floor as I have in the past, I came away very satisfied and with a small collection of fossils that do a great job of representing the diversity of the vertebrate fauna in this part of Texas during the late Pleistocene. A was the find of the day, and a first for me: a camelid toe bone (likely Hemiauchenia or Palaeolama based on a post in Fossil ID by @garyc several years ago). I picked it up on my way back up the riverbank and although it's not as heavily mineralized as I'd like, beggars can't be choosers! It was definitely the trip maker in my opinion. B and C are pieces of turtle plastron, the former from the hard-shelled variety and the latter from the soft-shelled one. If you don't know what the difference is, I recommend looking up a picture of a soft-shelled turtle - they look pretty funny. Identifying hard-shelled turtle shell fragments to species, or even genus, is near impossible unless the piece in question is diagnostic, like a nuchal section. Soft-shelled turtles are a little easier, since as far as I know Apalone ferox was the only one of its kind swimming around here during the late Pleistocene. Turtle shell fragments are easily the most common fossil I come across, possibly tied with horse fossils. I don't know for sure, but my theory is that it's an issue of preservation bias. Turtles already live in water and muddy areas, so when they die there's a greater chance that their bodies will end up in the type of environment that's conducive to creating fossils. They're also encased in a giant bony shell, meaning they simply have more "bones" than your average animal. Both of these factors taken together equals a LOT of fossilized turtle shell fragments scattered across the river. D is an osteoderm from the giant armadillo, Holmesina septentrionalis. They're one of my favorite Pleistocene animals. Although this is only my fifth osteoderm, they are much, much more common finds than those belonging to their much larger and more famous cousin the glyptothere, of which I only have one (and it's a hesitant ID at best). Just means I need to make more trips! E is a neural section from a turtle shell, the part that denotes where the spine is. F isn't anything special, just a piece of petrified wood that I found interesting because of the visible knot in the bark. G is a fragment of a mastodon tooth. It's not the best one I've ever found, but it still made me incredibly excited when I first saw it half-buried in the ground and hoped that I was only seeing a small portion of a much larger tooth, which I've still yet to find and is near the top of my bucket list. Here's an in-situ photo I took: H are two fragments of the incredibly common horse teeth that no trip to the river is complete without. And last but not least, I is a fragment of mammoth (or mastodon) tusk, recognizable by the criss-crossed Schreger lines along the interior cross section that unfortunately isn't visible in the photo. Several days later I would return to the river, this time in a different spot. After spending an hour or two with nothing to show for it, I began the long walk back to my car a little disappointed. On my way, however, I spotted an algae-covered rock that seemed much larger than the rocks that normally make up the gravel that covers the river's many sandbars. Acting on a hunch I dug it out and flipped it over. And just like that, the day was saved! Sitting in my hand was a mammoth carpal bone, the first complete mammoth bone I've ever come across. To make the situation even sweeter, the sandbar that's visible at the top of the picture below is the exact spot where I first found that one chunk of unidentifiable mammoth bone two years ago. If I had found this bone when I had first started fossil hunting I would have had no idea what I was looking at. But having read many of the Peace River posts on here religiously in the past I had a pretty good idea of what I had found as I carried the surprisingly heavy bone back to my car. Once I got home, a quick search through the University of Michigan's online database of 3D fossil models proved me right: The bone was barely mineralized, if at all, so it was quite crumbly in spots, especially along the section that had been exposed above the ground when I first found it. It took several days sitting in the sun in my backyard for the water that had soaked through every pore at its center to finally dry up and leave it a whole pound lighter. I'll have to get around to consolidating it sometime soon when I have the time. As there's a pretty good chance I might get a job working at the famous Waco Mammoth Site this fall when I head back to school, I'll have plenty of expert advice on how to go about doing it the right way! Near the end of the week I traveled back to Waco with my roommate to move everything out of our old apartment and into the new one that we'll be staying in this upcoming school year. But on the way I couldn't resist the temptation to stop at one of my favorite fossil spots in the state, the legendary Whiskey Bridge just west of College Station. I've been to Whiskey Bridge several times before in the past (once with the Dallas Paleontological Society), and although I am fond of the plentiful and exquisitely preserved gastropods that the site is so well-known for, I'm a vertebrate lover first and foremost. As such, as soon as I learned that shark teeth could be found amongst the Eocene-aged sediments under the bridge, it became my all-consuming quest to find one every time I visit. I've found several in the past, including a very nice tiger shark tooth. This time I didn't have much luck when it came to shark teeth in particular, but did have more success finding fish material than I've ever had in the past. First was an incredibly large (and incredibly sharp!) pectoral fin spine from some species of fish that I'll likely never know. I found it just sitting on top of a pile of loose dirt and at first assumed it was part of a twig. I kept it just to check later, and it seems to match some pictures I was able to find online, not to mention the shiny black coloring being the most noticeable feature of vertebrate material at the site. The fish spine was followed up by a half hour of diligently scouring the lines of shell hash in the upper reaches of the exposed river bank for shark teeth. According to a graduate student I met on the DPS field trip who had written a paper on another Eocene formation in Texas and had done more reading on the one exposed at Whiskey Bridge than I had, the shell hash is the best location for finding teeth as it represents periodic storm deposits. I didn't find any shark teeth this time, but did come across what I think is probably a barracuda/mackerel tooth (Scomberomorus) and a fragment of one from a stingray (Myliobatis). Here's some pictures of them in-situ, easily recognizable because of their glossy black preservation: Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, I saw something that made my heart stop. What looked like the exposed base of a crocodile tooth was sticking out of the side of one of the steep riverbank cliff faces. I didn't even know crocodile material could be found at the site, so I immediately took as many pictures as I could in case it was a significant find and began extracting it. Unfortunately, the surrounding sediment was more tough than I was expecting, and it came out in pieces just as the sun started to disappear over the horizon. With the "tooth" now in the palm of my hand, I realized that I was completely wrong about what I had been looking at - there was no point, or cutting edge, or any other features present that would tell me what I had was a tooth. Annoyed and more than a little disappointed, I trudged back up the hillside under the bridge with aching hands. It wasn't until I got to Waco that I did some research and found out that although I hadn't found something as exciting as a crocodile tooth, I had still found something that I had never seen at the bridge before. Apparently, there's a species of ray-finned fish from the Eocene that's still pretty poorly understood known as Cylindricanthus. Fossils like the one I had found are hypothesized to have been part of the rostrum at the end of the snout, somewhat similar to modern-day swordfish. Here's a post I found on here from ten years ago about a complete rostrum that someone also excavated from Whiskey Bridge: So all-in-all, a pretty successful trip! Other finds I didn't mention included a rare-ish species of gastropod that I had never seen before (Gegania antiquata), a nice example of a cone snail (Conus sauridens), some fish ear bones, what I think is a shrimp trace burrow, and what is probably a very, very small, and very, very worn-down shark tooth. Here's a photo of everything laid out together: Before I wrap up this very long trip report, I wanted to thank everyone here on the forum. You have all been so helpful and welcoming over these past two years and the advice and information I've been given has been invaluable. If I had never found this place I don't know if I would have ever decided that fossils were so important to me that I wanted to make a career out of studying and learning about them. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. - Graham

New Mexico mammoths among best evidence for early humans in North America by University of Texas at Austin The paper is: Rowe, T.B., Stafford Jr, T.W., Fisher, D.C., Enghild, J.J., Quigg, J.M., Ketcham, R.A., Sagebiel, J.C., Hanna, R. and Colbert, M.W., 2022. Human Occupation of the North American Colorado Plateau∼ 37,000 Years Ago. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, no. 534. (open access paper) Formation and Taphonomy of Quaternary Fossil Accumulations: Advances and New Perspectives Yours, Paul H.

Hello, I purchased this fossil a while ago - was told it was a Mammoth tooth found in a river in Georgia or Florida, USA. I'm wondering if anyone could tell me more specific information (maybe what type of tooth or anything else!) Thanks!

So last week in the heat of SE Texas I decided to go on a kayak trip (It was 102 F). I didn't find too much but did find this giant thoracic vertebra. It's about 25cm, 9.75 in to the top of the processes, 24 cm (9.25 in) wide across the processes. It looks different than most of my proboscidian vertebrae that I've found, it has a very round neural channel, like I've often seen in sloth thoracic vertebra. It's also stretched vertically. The front articular process extends farther out than what I see in my elephant vertebrae (could it be a xenarthra type process?). It also has rib attachments that are higher on the vertebra, more like sloth than elephant. I really just want imput from anyone who has looked at these large vertebrae. @PrehistoricFlorida @Harry Pristis @Shellseeker @garyc @Brandy Cole @JohnJ

I just wanted to share this, thought it might be of interest and there's definitely room for improvement and tips! This was the first fossil mammoth tusk I restored and prepared a few years ago- a juvenile mammoth tusk that was split laterally almost perfectly down the middle. It was sourced from central Alaska, though not sure if it was discovered in a mining operation or if it was exposed on a river bank as so many are. The first step was to submerge and soak the entire tusk in a PVA solution, followed by Apoxie sculpt and banding to merge the two broken pieces and restore some of the tip. I haven't ever done this before so I used the grey Apoxie, in retrospect maybe the white color would have been easier for later coloring? Maybe mixing color in the Apoxie pre-hardening? After banding and curing, the two pieces held together and it was time to sand sand sand down to I think 2000gr. Lastly, I colored the Apoxie fill with various wood stain colors, however I wasn't a huge fan of that- does anyone have any recommendations on how to do that better? I've never been a painter and know nothing about what to use or color matching, but would love some info! I've done other projects and thought about taking on restoration projects where this knowledge would be really helpful but admittedly I'm really inexperienced with coloring any sort of anything. I've seen people reconstruct 1/3 of a cave bear skull and it's like you'd never know unless you were really looking for it. I have no idea how they do that! I'm sure that takes some serious artistic talent that I don't posses, but any tips for this would be appreciated. Originally I built a stand out of bent/polished brass and a block of wood I got from a trophy store that is somehow still in business in this little Alaska town. A couple years after I made the original stand I decided to make a new stand out of a small petrified wood slab/slice. I really like the look of it better (though I'm not crazy about the brass anymore), but I had a really hard time drilling the holes in the slab- I broke a few bits before I bought some stone/tile bits, and even those weren't great! I was only able to drill the holes just barely deep enough to hold the brass wire. Any tips on drilling petrified wood?? I have a few other small things and potentially a few larger items that would look killer on a similar stand. I've done a few tusks since this one, none of them with such significant damage, though none are complete tusks I think I'll post another one of the interesting ones that has amazing vivianite and what I think are actual cobalt crystals in the internal cavity. The restoration done on this tusk is only for me, I have no plans on selling this so in looking for reconstruction/restoration tips & tricks, it's purely for my own collection and enjoyment- not to try and fool some unwitting buyer on our favorite auction website! To be honest, the preparation is the most fun for me! Enjoy! Nick

Hi all, I recently purchased this mammoth tooth, which I believe is genuine but would like your guys’ feedback on. I’m not as familiar with mammoth material, but I’m not so sure it’s a wooly mammoth based on pictures I’ve seen online. I believe it may be a lower left P4(?) but not really sure. The seller noted: No restoration AGE :Pleistocene - 12,000 years ago Length: 10.5cm / 4.1 inch Height: 12cm / 4.7 inch Width: 7.5 cm / 2.9 inch Weight: 583gram/ 1.28 ibs Origin: The Sakha(Yakutia)Republic Siberian Any input would be lovely! Can we roughly tell a species based on its supposed provenience and morphologies? Also included a photo of a temporary DIY stand I made from 1/8” steel rod and heat shrink tubing.

So went to peace River today, and as always, I come back with ID’s being needed! So a few different things today. 1. Possible piece of tusk? It’s got cross-hatched lines on it which makes me think of Schreger lines. 2. Another thing I thought may be tusk, for the same reason. 3. I’m almost certain this is a mammoth tooth fragment, but I wanted confirmation! 4. Are these hammerhead shark teeth, or lemon? Thanks in advance! 1) Tusk? 2) Also tusk? 3) Mammoth tooth frag? 4) Hammerhead sharks teeth?

Howdy, I bought a mammoth tooth that was clear-coated on one side. Unfortunately, there are dozens of divots in it that I think are caused by the clear-coating. They're quite deep as well. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Hi there everyone! I thought I would ask for some help in properly identifying this specimen that I recently acquired. This specimen is said to be a baby/juvenile M. Columbi tooth found in North Florida. The specimen is very obviously worn and has pink patches due to algae buildup. I’ve included several photos below: Front, Right, Left, Bottom, Bottom, Top (Chewing surface), Top (Chewing surface). I’m fairly certain this is a mammoth tooth but I’d greatly appreciate a positive ID since I can’t find much information about specimens like this online. My real inquiry is identifying whether this specimen would be considered as a milk tooth and if it’s partial. From my understanding, it’s missing most of its root which would obviously make it partial, but I’ve highlighted a section in red where I would’ve thought the rest of the tooth would go. Thank you guys in advance! You all are always extremely insightful and I truly feel like a part of this community. Cheers!

Hi, I found this on West Runton beach in North Norfolk, UK. I’m wondering if it is a fossil and if so what type? I have included a standard sized store card for scale Thanks!

It is possible identify the species of this tooth? Mammuthus primigenius, trogontherii or meridionalis? According to the seller, the tooth was discovered in Hungary, so what species of mammoth lived here? Woolly? Thanks.

It is possible to identify the species of those mammoth teeth? According to the seller, they're from the North Sea. This is the first: And this is the second one:

This could be an authentic woolly mammoth molar? I don't sede lateral plates. Also, it is normal the top surface is so black? Thanks for help.

Dear All ,would you advice with this fossil ID ..one of them weight 5.4 kg

Hi everyone, So, I am moving soon and I was able to get a wonderful cabinet curio with a display case. I have a few fossils that I want to display in there as somewhat of a "mini museum". I know that there are fossil stands for ammonites and shark teeth but I cant for the life of me think of a way to display a few large Pleistocene material that I have, such as a mammoth tooth and bison horn core seen below: Would anyone have any suggestions? thank you!

Hi guys! Can you help me with this one? I found this vertebra online and I would like your opinion if its real and correct for a mammoth. The description says it is a Columbian mammoth vertebra from North Florida. Thank you for attention! Best Regards, Paloma Dasko.

These are listed online as Juvenile mammoth teeth partials, are they?

Can anyone tell me the characters to look for in identifying which mammoth species this is? Found in Trego county Kansas ca. 1960.