Dolphin or Mammal?

[The Dude]

Hi everyone. Found this in the Peace River, Fl member of the Bone Vally formation.

I think its Dolphin or could me mammal. Nice condition but the very tip is missing. Please have a look tell me your thoughts, this is a first find like this for me.

Its small, 1.25" (31mm) from tip to where the root ends total length. The tooth itself is 1/2 inch (12mm) long and 3/8" (9mm) wide at the base of the enamel 

Thank You

[grandpa]

Before we confuse some of our readers, dolphins are in fact mamals:

 

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea

[The Dude]

3 hours ago, grandpa said:

Before we confuse some of our readers, dolphins are in fact mamals:

 

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea

My bad grandpa wasn't thinking , thanks for pointing that out , my brain was still wet from hunting in the rain today 

[Shellseeker]

With kudos to Harry's fantastic set of photos

 

 

[Boesse]

I think this is definitely a hefty dolphin tooth - dolphin teeth generally curve inward.

[The Dude]

55 minutes ago, Boesse said:

I think this is definitely a hefty dolphin tooth - dolphin teeth generally curve inward.

I have a question , I have found a dozen mako 8 smaller Meg's this year but this is my first dolphin . Are they more rare to find or I'm just looking in the wrong spot ? 

[Harry Pristis]

1 hour ago, The Dude said:

I have a question , I have found a dozen mako 8 smaller Meg's this year but this is my first dolphin . Are they more rare to find or I'm just looking in the wrong spot ? 

 

That raises the question:  How many teeth do odontocetes produce in a lifetime?  I don't know.  Most mammals produce two sets, deciduous and permanent. (Maybe @Boessecan clarify this.)  However many it is, it is not nearly as many as a shark.  Here's what Google says:

30,000 teeth

 

The number of teeth a shark can lose over its lifetime does depend upon the species. The sharks that have several hundred teeth in their jaws will lose more teeth overall than the sharks that only have a dozen teeth. On average, a shark can lose as many as 20,000 – 30,000 teeth over the course of its lifetime.Aug 24, 2016

[The Dude]

4 hours ago, Harry Pristis said:

 

That raises the question:  How many teeth do odontocetes produce in a lifetime?  I don't know.  Most mammals produce two sets, deciduous and permanent. (Maybe @Boessecan clarify this.)  However many it is, it is not nearly as many as a shark.  Here's what Google says:

30,000 teeth

 

The number of teeth a shark can lose over its lifetime does depend upon the species. The sharks that have several hundred teeth in their jaws will lose more teeth overall than the sharks that only have a dozen teeth. On average, a shark can lose as many as 20,000 – 30,000 teeth over the course of its lifetime.Aug 24, 2016

Yes makes sense then you would see way more shark teeth then dolphin good logic there Harry, seems solid 

[Boesse]

Good question - it probably has to do with the fact that 1) shark teeth are produced far more rapidly and being constantly shed and 2) dolphins only produce a single set of teeth (we're not sure if odontocetes have lost the milk teeth or the adult teeth).

 

They are indeed quite rare. For example, yesterday I was at a river dredge site where probably 90% or more of the fossils are Oligocene in age. We collected three complete odontocete teeth, a couple possible partials, and probably 30-40 teeth of Physogaleus aduncas alone (and many dozens of tiny Carcharhinus teeth we left behind). And each of those odontocetes were from different families! Indeed, at Folly Beach right here near Charleston, I've collected thousands of shark teeth - on a good day you can find ~100 or more small teeth - and I have never found nor heard of a dolphin tooth out there (though I do know of about a dozen earbones). Surprisingly, not a single recognizable sperm whale tooth even!

[grahamguti]

@Boesse where was that site exactly? I live downtown and go up to Summerville frequently.

[Boesse]

3 hours ago, grahamguti said:

@Boesse where was that site exactly? I live downtown and go up to Summerville frequently.

Along a lowcountry waterway!

[grahamguti]

@Boesse Thank you!

[DPS Ammonite]

8 hours ago, grahamguti said:

@Boesse where was that site exactly? I live downtown and go up to Summerville frequently.

Check out the paleontological resources at Mindat. If you search for a species of fossil in the field next to the magnifying glass it will take you to a page that has links to GBIF and paleobiodb websites. If you search around those sites you can find maps with fossil localities based on professional papers. You also can find citations to pertinent papers. Sometimes most of your hunting is on the internet before you go to a site. When thing get back to normal, going to a local paleo, rock or mineral club is a great way to find new hunting areas. You will have more luck doing the above than by directly asking where to find fossils on the Forum. Good luck in your searches.

[grahamguti]

@DPS Ammonite Similarly, I have read pages of the peer reviewed journal articles discussing the quadrangle in my area and its layers exposures (and if I'm lucky they include a locality). I have also looked at what elevation the formations rest at---and respectfully topographic maps of my county. I also spend hours on Google maps to find exposed lands, recent LIVE satellite imagery to make sure they are still there, and Google street view to know what the access point looks like or if it is fenced up. I have driven an hour away to find nothing before, but I've also found Megs 20 minutes away.  I have also texted real estate brokers to ask them if they would allow me to look for fossils on their property, and most of them all said the same thing "I sold that property years ago".