The great (crocodile) tooth identification game

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Some time ago I came across this seller selling a lot of pliosaur teeth without provenance, most of which can be attributed to misidentified teeth of Zarafasaura oceanis, the elasmosaurid of the Moroccan phosphates. However, amongst these same teeth, I also came across the below few of teeth that I'm having difficulty identifying. Tooth 5 is obviously a mosasaurid tooth from the Ouled Abdoun basin and probably belongs to Eremiasaurus heterodontus; tooth 1 seems to originate in the Kem Kem; and I suspect there are at least a few crocodile teeth amongst the rest (at least tooth 4). But I've grown quite curious to learn the identity and origin of these teeth, so was hoping to find some help here. Hence, this little game. Lets see what information we can compile on them, but no additional photographs will be made available/requested

 

Tooth 1

 

 

Tooth 2

 

 

Tooth 3

 

 

Tooth 4

 

 

Tooth 5

 

 

To help kickstart the "game", I'll tag at least @caterpillar @Jesuslover340 @LordTrilobite @Praefectus and @Haravex. As always, feel free to tag others, but don't feel obliged to respond

 

Thanks for your help, and have fun with what I think might be a nice little puzzle!

[Haravex]

ok so quick question all these are from kem kem?

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Just now, Haravex said:

ok so quick question all these are from kem kem?

 

Nope. Tooth 5, at least, must've come from Ouled Abdoun. As to the rest, I can only guess. But the matrix on the root of tooth 1 seems to suggest that one should've come from the Kem Kem... The mystery of where they're from is part of the fun of it all

[Haravex]

Right I mean without location (even the country )its gonna be hard also the first one looks like a broken croc tooth with some weird gunk molded on top I'm betting money if you put a hot needle on that you will smell some sort of glue 

[Praefectus]

#1 looks like it has had the tip replaced. It may just be the picture angle, but the change in texture is a bad sign. 

 

 

I'm not entirely sure about #2, #3, and #4, but I am getting a Kem Kem croc feel from them. 

 

#5 is mosasaur. 2 inches is a bit big for Eremiasaurus heterodontus. I think Prognathodon is more likely. Not sure which of the Progs, though. 

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

11 minutes ago, Haravex said:

Right I mean without location (even the country )its gonna be hard

 

Yeah, I realise it's pretty much a hopeless request. That's why I consider any bit of information that may come of this a win. I mean, for all I know, some of these teeth are as easily recognizable as the mosasaur tooth and thus provide a complete answer just like that (tooth 4, for instance, really reminds me of Eocene crocodile teeth from Champagne in France). More realistically, though, I suspect we might collect clues like "Kem Kem", "composition", "crocodile", etc. To me something like this still seems informative. But, again, to me there's no pressure in getting any answer at all

 

11 minutes ago, Haravex said:

also the first one looks like a broken croc tooth with some weird gunk molded on top I'm betting money if you put a hot needle on that you will smell some sort of glue 

 

14 minutes ago, Praefectus said:

#1 looks like it has had the tip replaced. It may just be the picture angle, but the change in texture is a bad sign. 

 

 

Yeah, that was my impression too. Lets keep it at composited Kem Kem crocodile tooth for now then

 

15 minutes ago, Praefectus said:

I'm not entirely sure about #2, #3, and #4, but I am getting a Kem Kem croc feel from them.

 

Cool! Kem Kem would make sense, since the vendor seems to sell mostly Moroccan material. Though, as said, tooth #4 reminds me of Eocene crocodile teeth from Champagne here in France. Then again, I guess crocodile teeth do have a certain similarity the world over through time (especially if close enough together, such as Cretaceous and Eocene):

 

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, Praefectus said:

#5 is mosasaur. 2 inches is a bit big for Eremiasaurus heterodontus. I think Prognathodon is more likely. Not sure which of the Progs, though.

 

I've considered Prognathodon sp. for this tooth - I mean, it's pretty much the fallback for any tooth that can't be assigned otherwise, right? - but have seen some notably big teeth that morphologically - inflated, posteriorly curved teeth without prism faces, facets or striae (i.e., smooth enamel surface) and a single anterior carina - match what I'd expect from Eremiasaurus heterodontus. I therefore don't consider this too big, per sé, for the species... Then again, mosasaur heterodonty, right? Plus, it's difficult to make out the tooth's full and proper morphology from the photographs, due to the angles in which they were taken.

 

In this case, though, I think mosasaur is probably enough of an identification