Crocodile Jaw

[Fossil Maniac]

I got this partial crocodile Jaw. All the dealer said was that it was from the U.S.

[Nanotyrannus35]

I'm not an expert, but the teeth are probably from Florida, based on preservation. There is a large difference between the preservation of the teeth and the preservation of the jaw. The teeth were probably placed into the jaw.

[Harry Pristis]

I believe this is an alligator jaw, not crocodile.  This specimen is likely to be from Florida, but that's a guess.  What is not a guess is that 'gator teeth are preserved in all states, especially-well preserved if they are not yet emerged and protected within the jawbone.  It is challenging to fit teeth into non-original alveoli.

 

 

[Fossil Maniac]

57 minutes ago, Nanotyrannus35 said:

I'm not an expert, but the teeth are probably from Florida, based on preservation. There is a large difference between the preservation of the teeth and the preservation of the jaw. The teeth were probably placed into the jaw.

Do you think they were placed in from a different individual?

[Nanotyrannus35]

6 minutes ago, Fossil Maniac said:

Do you think they were placed in from a different individual?

I don't know, the teeth just don't look the right size for the sockets and seem the wrong size for the part of the mouth.

[Fossil Maniac]

 

7 minutes ago, Nanotyrannus35 said:

I don't know, the teeth just don't look the right size for the sockets and seem the wrong size for the part of the mouth.

I got it from a scientist in Germany, He said that some of the teeth had fallen out and he had to stabilize it in his lab.

[Thomas.Dodson]

6 minutes ago, Nanotyrannus35 said:

I don't know, the teeth just don't look the right size for the sockets and seem the wrong size for the part of the mouth.

Crocs and alligators have teeth that are generally like that. They don't really follow a gradient heterodonty.

[Fossil Maniac]

Could it possibly be from a small crocodile/alligator from the cretaceous like Brachychampsa?

[Harry Pristis]

17 minutes ago, Fossil Maniac said:

Could it possibly be from a small crocodile/alligator from the cretaceous like Brachychampsa?

It's not a crocodile.  It is an alligator.  Preservation looks good for Florida.

[jpc]

5 hours ago, Nanotyrannus35 said:

I don't know, the teeth just don't look the right size for the sockets and seem the wrong size for the part of the mouth.

I disagree... most corcodilians (incl allligators) usually have the biggest teeth in the dentary in the fourth position, followed by the two that form the peak of the sinusoidal jaw surface, as is seen here.  Often they are at different stages of eruption since they renew their teeth conitnuously.  These look legit form these pix.  The two on the top of the sine wave are pretty big teeth but not fully erupted.  Compare their mass to the little ones up front.