Infant mastodon calf?

[CornyCook]

I was on another river adventure and found this Butte. I tried to find images that resemble what I found, the closest comparable was a infant mastodon calf. I would appreciate any feedback y’all may have! Thanks!!

 

 

[CornyCook]

[fossilus]

I would say more likely mammoth calf. Very nice! Not common.

[digit]

Yup. Indeed a tooth from a young proboscidean--but in this case it is Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and not American Mastodon (Mammut americanum). Mastodon have teeth composed of separate cusps while mammoth teeth are like a layer cake of multiple rings of enamel glued together (horizontally) with cementum. Mammoth teeth wear down and the tooth raises up till there is little left and then the tooth is lost and a new tooth takes its place. A mammoth generally only has 4 molars active at one time (two in the upper and two in the lower jaw) except for the brief time when a tooth exchange is taking place. Humans have 2 sets of teeth (baby and adult) while mammoth have 6 sets. If they live longer than their supply of teeth then usually die of starvation when they've lost their last.

 

Your tooth is from a very young individual based on its size and the few number of rings of enamel. The tooth was just emerging and getting some use. You can see some of the rings of enamel are exposed but some are still rounded on the top without the enamel being visible. This individual did not survive past infancy. Adult mammoth teeth or at least partials (they are fragile and disarticulate quite easily) are more common than complete infant teeth. I've only found 2 tiny infant teeth in 13 years of sifting the Peace River. It's a really nice find!

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

[Fossildude19]

I agree, Mammoth. 

It looks like what they call a milk tooth. 

 

[Harry Pristis]

For comparison:

 

[digit]

Given that the milk teeth shown above are only quarter size and the one that started this topic is significantly larger, I'm guessing it is not the first tooth but likely the second (or possibly the third?) in the series.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Harry Pristis]

You're right, Ken, it is a second tooth.

 

 

[CornyCook]

12 hours ago, digit said:

Yup. Indeed a tooth from a young proboscidean--but in this case it is Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and not American Mastodon (Mammut americanum). Mastodon have teeth composed of separate cusps while mammoth teeth are like a layer cake of multiple rings of enamel glued together (horizontally) with cementum. Mammoth teeth wear down and the tooth raises up till there is little left and then the tooth is lost and a new tooth takes its place. A mammoth generally only has 4 molars active at one time (two in the upper and two in the lower jaw) except for the brief time when a tooth exchange is taking place. Humans have 2 sets of teeth (baby and adult) while mammoth have 6 sets. If they live longer than their supply of teeth then usually die of starvation when they've lost their last.

 

Your tooth is from a very young individual based on its size and the few number of rings of enamel. The tooth was just emerging and getting some use. You can see some of the rings of enamel are exposed but some are still rounded on the top without the enamel being visible. This individual did not survive past infancy. Adult mammoth teeth or at least partials (they are fragile and disarticulate quite easily) are more common than complete infant teeth. I've only found 2 tiny infant teeth in 13 years of sifting the Peace River. It's a really nice find!

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

 

That’s some spectacular information, thank you very much @digit! I’m new to collecting, well... other than the average sharks tooth! I have found many different types of bone, I have no idea as where to start with identifying them. I do know I have found some vertebrae, origin is unknown. Do you recommend a book or shall I continue to post on the forum? 

[digit]

You should search for The Fossil Vertebrates of Florida and pick up this reference. Mandatory reading for Florida fossil hunters. 

 

Posting images of unknowns here on the forum works well too. Keep in mind that bone fragments without distinctive features tend to be unidentifiable.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken