Stumped on this one...

[Madmartigan_Matt]

My daughter and I have spent weeks sifting through a Paleo Pack from PaleoCris's site.  Lots of amazing stuff, most pretty easy to ID, but this one has me stumped.  Sorry for the coin based scale picture, I can try to add another shot with an actual ruler soon.

 

His site details that the rubble containing this can range from the Eocene to the Pleistocene in Florida.

 

Edited January 2, 2021 by Madmartigan_Matt

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

I don’t know much about the area where he collects the gravel, but it might be a fragment of a drum mouth plate.

[digit]

Cris collects gravel from creek locations in north-central Florida. These little domed teeth are pharyngeal (throat) teeth and judging on the size likely from some species of wrasse (Labridae). Individually, or as cemented clumps like this, they are relatively common finds when you get down to the millimeter size scale.

 

Glad to hear that you and your daughter are enjoying some of Florida's fossil bounty at a much higher latitude where fossil hunting indoors this time of year is definitely the best option.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[digit]

For reference, the complete plates look something like this:

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231826996_An_Eocene_wrasse_Perciformes_Labridae_from_Seymour_Island/figures?lo=1

 

If not from a wrasse then from one of the other fish families that have pharyngeal tooth plates to crush their invertebrate prey.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Madmartigan_Matt]

Very helpful!  That looks to be a close match.   Thanks for the insights.

 

And yes, deep snow this time of year up here so it's nice to have some indoor activities like this for the kids.  There's enough teeny tiny teeth mixed in to keep our 3 year old and 7 year old occupied for hours.