TRexEliot Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 (edited) Just found this earlier today. Thought it was an enchodus until I noticed the conic root. I assume it's some type of aquatic reptile given the location and the similarity to mosasaur teeth I've found, but much more narrow than any mosasaur teeth I've found. Edited June 25, 2021 by TRexEliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Looks like a beat up Enchodus, to me. 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRexEliot Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 @Fossildude19 that was my first thought as well, but then I noticed the conic root, which enchodus don't have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 @frankh8147 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Possibly a Xiphactinus that's been beaten up by the stream gravel. Don 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRexEliot Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 @FossilDAWG having a tough time finding pictures of a xiphactinus root, but they don't seem (from what I could make out) to have hollow conic roots like this either. The conic root looks exactly like all the marine reptile teeth I've found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRexEliot Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 I'm leaning plesiosaur at the moment, but if anyone can make a case for what else it could be, that would be very helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 3 hours ago, TRexEliot said: @FossilDAWG having a tough time finding pictures of a xiphactinus root, but they don't seem (from what I could make out) to have hollow conic roots like this either. The conic root looks exactly like all the marine reptile teeth I've found. IMO it's a worn X-fish. You're confusing some terminology here. This is only the crown of the tooth (coated with enamel), the root anchors it in the jaw. By "conic," I'm assuming you're referring to the impression at the base. Yes, marine reptiles have a similar indentation. However, the shape of the tooth is different from both mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. You'll note that this crown has a very flat, elliptical cross section. It also has distinct carinae ("cutting edges"). The crowns of mosasaur and plesiosaur teeth are much more conical, and not as flattened. Compare to these Xiphactinus teeth: ^http://oceansofkansas.com/xiphac.html ^https://www.jstor.org/stable/4523841?seq=6#metadata_info_tab_contents First ref I found showing plesiosaurid tooth cross sections: ^https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0172759 3 1 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas.Dodson Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 A quick shot of the base of one of my Xiphactinus audax for comparison. As The Physicist pointed out note the elliptical cross section, the double carinae, and the fluting. This one also has a somewhat conical base. It's not a great picture but it shows the characteristics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 This is one I would really like better, brighter pictures of. I can absolutely say Xiphactinus is an option but there are other possibilities too. I'll go ahead and eliminate the possibility of Plesiosaur. They do not have carinae and are a lot more slender. The tooth is off too. For comparison, here is a Plesiosaur I found in New Jersey last year. I really do think you should invest the time to take better pictures. I spend WAY too much time working with and researching the most obscure teeth from the New Jersey Cretaceous, and you get a nice surprise from time to time. Xiphactinus is an uncommon find too, so either way, you have something good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRexEliot Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 Thanks for all the great information guys! I'll do my best to get better pictures, but sadly my camera has been pretty blurry ever since I had to replace the lens cover on my phone a while ago (I think some dust may have been trapped in there that prevents it from focusing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 This is a Xiphactinus sp. tooth. I agree with all previous comments that share this opinion. 2 : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted July 10, 2021 Share Posted July 10, 2021 On 6/25/2021 at 1:03 PM, frankh8147 said: For comparison, here is a Plesiosaur I found in New Jersey last year. That's a stunning specimen! 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 14 hours ago, pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon said: That's a stunning specimen! Haha thanks! It's one of my favorite recent finds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRexEliot Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 On 6/25/2021 at 7:03 AM, frankh8147 said: I really do think you should invest the time to take better pictures. I spend WAY too much time working with and researching the most obscure teeth from the New Jersey Cretaceous, and you get a nice surprise from time to time. Xiphactinus is an uncommon find too, so either way, you have something good. Forgot about this thread, but just saw there were some new comments and thought I'd take this opportunity to get you some better pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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