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At least it is the "complex" half..... This is a well fossilized find. Are there features that could help to distinguish between horse, bison or camel? The length is slightly larger than 3 inches.. but obviously broke with 55% missing.

I have been fortunate to make finds this week that lead me to questions. These 2 are my best finds from today and Sunday respectively. I had previously found a couple of lightening strike Makos, black teeth with white streaks. Here is a nice lightening strike Meg - I think.. You can see the brownish streaks cross from the blade into the root. Here is the question: Do we know or have speculation on how exactly a lightening strike fossil shark tooth is created? I love the cream colored fossil teeth. I frequently find tapir "caps", enamel with no roots. It is a rare (for me) to find a tapir tooth with roots. I found one with complete roots 2 years ago, put it in a safe place, but after 6 months found that the roots were crumbing. Without quick action, I would be left with just another tapir cap. So this time I took the tapir tooth and immersed it for 1 hour, up to the edge of the enamel in a solution of 60% white Elmers glue and water. It seems straight forward for a single case of preservation. Does this seem like a reasonable preservation technique for this case? Thanks for any and all responses. SS NOTE: you can click twice on either photo to get a larger picture.

I went hunting with Miatria today. It was windy and cold (for SW Florida). I was foolish not to bring a wetsuit. We all did pretty well, my best find a small perfect Meg until this one showed up. I have a couple of guesses bit will leave it to TFF experts. Note the scrape mark from rubbing against the opposing canine. Then in the next sieve, a jaw segment with 2 and a half tooth sockets. This one confused me because the narrowness of the jaw and the large size of the sockets. Is this really Alligator? These tooth sockets would more than fit the large canine pictured above.

I picked up this 33mm fossil yesterday throwing it into a bag to donate to kids. Sorting this afternoon, I saw a graininess in the tip and thought "Do tines have grain?" It took me a little time to discount tusk material. It is probably still deer time but figured I would get it confirmed here.

Out on a "prospecting hunt" today with Miatria. She is good at selecting non-obvious locations. Finding some isolated bigger material, including a 3.5 inch partial Meg (which made me hope for more) and an Astragalus 2.5 inches (I'm thinking Equus). However the ID I am requesting is for this well fossilized almost perfect toe bone, just over 3 inches. I am amazed at the preservation. Hardly looks like a Peace River bone.

Lately I have been prospecting -- looking for productive areas that might take a week or two of digging. Sometimes we go into well hunted areas looking for isolated pockets, and those pockets can be extensive. I went with a frequent hunting buddy who suggested that we return to an area we hunted for 12 weeks and was the source for my single complete Mastodon tooth. I was somewhat skeptical since we spent a lot of time there 2 years ago, but I had no better suggestions. A test hole found 4-5 small teeth (tigers, lemons, bulls) in each of the first 2 full sieves so we continued. The strategy was dig deeper under the sand, under the gravel that drifted in last season, under the discard piles of previous hunters, down to gravel that lays on the bedrock or clay. This mostly produced 5-10 small teeth per sieve and an occasional larger hemi, glyptodon osteoderm, mammoth-mastodon fragment and even a worn or broken Meg -- and then this. Not the largest Meg I have found in the Peace because it is only a little over two inches, but consider the quality -- great serrations wrapping around a perfect tip. Consider this is a 2 mya fossil in a river with fast currents, lots of large and small rocks. Quite a successful day -- It was also a beautiful day -- not a cloud in the sky, little breeze, warm water.

Went hunting Friday with Miatria and a Peace River expert who has secret spots and land access. I had a pretty good day that started with a broken carnassial and ended with a large mammal medial phalanx. Here is a photo of some of my finds (knowns and unknowns)....I have been searching on the net and think I identified 3 of these but will see what the experts say: Fossil #2 is the broken carnassial split right down the middle. From the bottom of the root to the top of the crown is 40mm. Almost the exact length on the curve for #4. On #3 I am interested in the specific animal rather than the species. Did I mention that with all these goodies and more, Miatria won the day by a country mile? She found some NICE fossils. I offered to help dig out that spot but she was not listening.

All found yesterday in a heavily hunted spot. I'd appreciate any additional insight. From left to right: Top row: #4 Claw/rib bone? (bottom), #2: fish vert. (brown) & #3 fish vert. (black), #4(side), #1: Bigger Fish vert., #4 (back), top:#5 (Alligator scute?) below: #6 Bottom Row: #7.

A very nice day -- blue sky and no breeze. I did not find any special fossils but did find a carnassial that seems modern. I realized that this is feline or canid, but not which specific predator. About a year ago, HarryPristis made a trade with me that included upper carnassial & lower carnassial from Canis latrans (Coyote). I was very pleased with the trade. Coyote carnassial is on the right and slightly larger that the one I found and looking closely there is an obvious difference in number of "bumps", So, not Coyote but canid and slightly smaller -- Are there any options other than dog?

The first --- Those horizontal bands are indicative of toothed whale -- but what of the tip -- There is a concave hole where the tip should be. Pathological ?? post mortem? Have others seen this type of breakage? Size 16mm diameter and 41 mm long The 2nd -- 1st I thought palaeolama mirifica upper p4, then deer p4, then maybe Bison/Bos.. Now I am thoroughly confused. The tooth seems unerupted.

Here are 3 fossils, the 1st looks like a vert, and the last is a known that I just found with the other 2 and wanted to let others see this edge osteoderm. No clue on the middle one. The holes in the bone in this last photo implies skull material, but I do not know enough. Finally, a real beautiful fossil -- in jet black

It was a rather normal day -- a few beat-up horse teeth, numerous small teeth (tigers, lemons, dusky, hemis) and then this ?? On the river, I thought it might be mastodon or gomph tusk. I do not think so, anymore.. I am not sure if this is almost complete, missing the tip, or just the tip of something much larger. It is exciting to find something so unusual. Now if TFF experts can ID it. Thanks for all comments and identifications. The fossil is 40 mm wide at the base, and 60mm in length. SS

On Monday I found these two in consecutive sieves. I did not immediately identify either and that is surprising considering the 2nd fossil is one of my favorite fossils and my 1st of this season!! What is this? A small dolphin? If you have a problem identifying check out this 2010 Quiz from HarryPristis. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/14667-quiz-mammal-tooth/?hl=megalonyx#entry163362 And, I went back to the same spot today.. I have an idea but what is this 51% tooth? Thanks for all insights!! SS

I frequently rave about the fossil identification capabilities of TFF. A non-tech fossil hunting buddy asked me to place 8 canines and 1 molar on TFF for IDs. Here is the molar. Thanks for all WAGs & comments. SS

I was thinking dolphin because of the root, but can not find a specific dolphin that has peg teeth like these... In any case, this is my first peg tooth, and therefore rare in the Peace.

I think the 1st osterderm below is Armadillo -- it has the distinctive centerline ridge. A couple of months back I found what I believed to be the center rosette without petals of a Glyptodont. But a fossil said it was Armadillo -- it had no centerline ridge. More recently I found additional Glyptodon Osteoderms pictured below -- again no petals. So now the questions: 1) Does every Armadillo Osteoderm have the distinctive center line ridge? 2) What causes slim versus fat Glyptodont Osteoderms? Juvenile? species? diet? 3) The last photo Osteoderm has a rolled edge which makes it an edge piece of the puzzle. Does it connect to petals or other rosettes? I guess I have to go back to UFMNH museum.

I get many requests to accompany other fossil seekers on hunting trips, likely because I "advertize" great finds. However, I have a somewhat low success rate on any specific trip. About 1/2 the time I find only small shark teeth with maybe a few large tigers or snaggles. That's it for 6-8 hours of shoveling gravel. Most of the other trips, I find a few ( Megs, Makos, Horse, Bison, Sloth, etc, etc) and then a trip like today -- lots of finds and some unique fossils. I was out with 3 experienced fossil hunting friends. but this is a Fossil ID thread --- maybe more correctly a thread of clarifying questions. 1st 2 photos is 6 plates (approximately 1/2) of an upper Mammoth molar. Since I had 3 friends with me, a lot of luck in the spot I chose to dig. Clarifying question. Can Colombian or Imperial type be determined from these photos? Next a couple of photos of 50% of a small (30mm diameter) vertebral epiphysis - which mammal? and lastly a unique (for me) Glyptodont Osteoderm. An edge piece? No petals on the daisy? Is this complete and have others found similar ones? My first of this type in 5 years of hunting. Enjoy!!! I certainly did on this day!!! SS

I have no idea what this is -- what tooth has vertical grooves? Length=25mm, slightly under 1 inch.

When I first saw this fossil -- I was really excited -- I thought it was a small tusk -- maybe dugong, maybe something else, but 2nd thought I think I know what it is -- just curious on why it is so small. It is an excellent relatively rare find for me -- no matter what it turns out to be!!! By the way I have another canine looking fossil -- posted separately.

I found this tooth Monday --- and a canine always makes my searches worthwhile. I noted that the root was brownish rather than the typical black from the Peace River and I also wondered if it was modern or fossilized. With the tooth "sharpened" on an opposing canine, I realized this was peccary, tapir, OR modern wild boar. SO could it be a wild boar canine? -- After a search actually not -- Peccary and Wild Boar have similar tusks (Canines), which look very little like Tapir Canines.. This is Tapir so a minimum of 11000 years. The Tapir from Florida was not a currently existing family member, but either the extinct Tapirus veroensis or Tapirus haysii. Maybe someone will have an answer -- Does the sharpened edge identify the position of this specific canine?

I realize that this is too small for Horse or Bison, and it does not resemble deer which I have found before. Could it be tapir?

Always a great day when I can get to the river and find something to put on TFF. The larger of the 2 teeth is Bos/Bison and since it is fossilized, must be Bison -- How can I determine which specific tooth this one is? I have previously found Bison molars which are at least twice this size. Is this one from a juvenile. My fossil buddy guessed that the 2nd smaller tooth is also Bison - is it?, and if so what about the size difference -- a baby bison????

Since I can not go to the Peace today, I was sorting out bags of fossils from when I was searching 3-4 times a week. I came across this one. My buddies and I have "rules", some of us have favorite fossils. Mine happen to be toe bones and sloth teeth; others really like other items like sand tigers, thresher teeth, or turtle spurs. Since this is a toe bone, it was found by fossil buddy and "donated" to me. I did not pay that much attention at the time because I found something excellent, like a sloth tooth!!!! Now, it is getting a proper level of attention. I kind of like it, since similar type bones in the past have been identified to be predator -- either avian or feline.. One can only hope. So matching the title. What is the purpose of that "notch"? Is it diagnostic? Thx for looking SS Measuring in millimeters == 32

This is one of my all time favorite finds. I found it in March 2012 and because I had not-great results with applying preservative to a couple of previous finds -- decided not to attempt preservation on this one. I wanted it to always look exactly like when I found it in the river which it still does. Everything is exactly the same, same colors, same sheen, and the same little cracks/fissures as the day I found it. You can see those cracks in detail by clicking on the photo -- there are lots of them, even in the occusal surface !!! I just posted this photos in another thread which got me wondering. So the question(s) Do others have examples of Mastodon teeth with stress fracture cracks? Were these cracks likely from pre/during/post fossilization? The tooth was found in the river, but not necessarily started there. There cracks do not seem to be caused by river action tumbling with rocks, but I guess that is a possibility. These seem like pressure cracks. What process could have created the cracks? It seems that the vast majority of the cracks are in the enamel, not in the root material. I realize that there are no 100% answers, but I am looking for possibilities. Thanks for looking

Missing tip but likely a horse incisor or maybe tapir. What remains is in great shape. I do not recall the longitudinal line on the other horse incisors -- did I miss it?