Rodent teeth in matrix?

[Brandy Cole]

So I picked up a small piece in the sandy, South Texas Pleistocene gravel the other day because it looked like there might have been some tooth enamel, but it was so covered in a sandstone matrix that I wasn't sure what it might be.

 

The sandstone wouldn't come off with water, but when I dipped it in vinegar last night, it started to melt away. I  pulled it out quickly and rinsed it with water and realized it looks like a set of top and bottom front teeth.  Maybe rat?

 

My problem is this: the matrix is hiding a lot of detail here, and I'd ideally like to clean it off completely. But it may also be the only thing holding the upper and lower halves together.  

 

Any suggestions?

[ChristineR]

These appear to be two grooved incisors and two incisors without groves. Is that correct? If so, do the grooved teeth appear to have lost enamel?

[Brandy Cole]

24 minutes ago, Christine.Rowland said:

These appear to be two grooved incisors and two incisors without groves. Is that correct? If so, do the grooved teeth appear to have lost enamel?

 

Yes, one pair of teeth is grooved and the other pair is smooth.

 

I'm not sure how best to answer the question about lost enamel.  It looks like both pairs have places where the enamel has worn away, especially at the edges and ends of the teeth.  But the grooves themselves don't look like they were caused by worn off enamel.  At least not to my naked eye.  I took the grooves to be a natural part of the way the teeth were formed.

 

But I know nothing about small mammal teeth at all, so I'm excited to learn.

[ChristineR]

I know that modern rats present with grooved teeth when enamel is worn away. 
 

Others with better knowledge will likely be more helpful. I look forward to learning more also. It’s a really cool find.