Mystery tooth?

[Mtwombly]

Hey guys, 

 

I found this in a creek close to me in south Florida, and while I originally presumed it to be a small, worn down bone upon first glance, further inspection made me suspect it might be something else. It has a unique enamel-like texture and there are rings visible on top. Yet it’s quite dull and tiny, it wouldn’t be a very effective incisor. I’m stumped! I’m hoping someone might have some ideas? 
 

[minnbuckeye]

Welcome to the forum! Unfortunately, I am not able to help with your ID. Just providing a suggestion to help you get better responses in IDing. Don't hold the fossil! Place it on a flat, neutral colored surface and add a measuring device to give accurate readings of your fossil's size.  Otherwise you are doing great taking views of all sides and ends. 

[Mtwombly]

6 minutes ago, minnbuckeye said:

Welcome to the forum! Unfortunately, I am not able to help with your ID. Just providing a suggestion to help you get better responses in IDing. Don't hold the fossil! Place it on a flat, neutral colored surface and add a measuring device to give accurate readings of your fossil's size.  Otherwise you are doing great taking views of all sides and ends. 

Thank you so much for letting me know! I’ll do that from now on! 

[digit]

I too am torn between a small worn bone fragment and some sort of peg tooth. Most bones found in Florida (with the exception of dugong rib bones) would have a more spongy (cancellous) bone material at their core with the more solid cortex bone surrounding it at the surface. I'd say your find is really too small to consider it to be dugong (even a really tiny baby one).

 

The only teeth that I can think of which are more peg-like would be from one of the armadillo-like species. Probably a bit large for Dasypus bellus which has very peg-like teeth. Holmensina teeth tend to be a bit more "hourglass" or "peanut" shaped in cross-section. I'm not really seeing a difference in texture on the outer surface--these xenarthran teeth have harder enamel enclosing softer dentine which usually leaves a bit of a distinctive edge on the occlusal surface as it wears.

 

 

Possibly, the best line of inquiry might be that it could be a worn cetacean tooth. Other than @Boesse who is our professional go-to member on all things cetacean,  @Shellseeker has spent a lot of time learning about the cetacean teeth he finds in Florida.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

[Shellseeker]

1 hour ago, digit said:

Possibly, the best line of inquiry might be that it could be a worn cetacean tooth. Other than @Boesse who is our professional go-to member on all things cetacean,  @Shellseeker has spent a lot of time learning about the cetacean teeth he finds in Florida.

Yes,  I believe it to be tip of a small whale tooth:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/103353-sm-miocene-tooth/

Those look like bands to me

[Boesse]

This is certainly a tooth and as @Shellseeker pointed out has cementum growth bands at the base.  @Mtwombly can you see any circular growth lines in the smoother end? I can see them in the base end of the tooth. No cetacean has a blunt tooth like this with a "pencil eraser" shaped crown, so if cetacean, it's almost certainly been worn down (and therefore growth rings should be present at both ends)

[digit]

Thanks, guys!

 

If you've possibly found a cetacean tooth, this is certainly the place to get it identified.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken