Florida find-any ideas?

[Jbenton]

Found while sifting at Caspersen beach. Any ideas? Looks like it may be a tooth?

[GPayton]

Looks like a heavily worn chunk of mammoth tooth enamel to me. The "layered paper" look and the horizontal wrinkles visible in the first picture are the best identifiers. Based on the second picture and my assumption that it's showing the occlusal surface (crown), this might have come from the posterior portion of the tooth where the crown isn't as wide as it is on the anterior side closest to the lips, like you can see on the right side of the tooth in this picture. 

Edited May 11, 2022 by GPayton

[Jbenton]

Thanks. I’m thinking it could also be a juvenile? it’s really small.

[minnbuckeye]

Let me start by saying I only make my opinion based on pictures I have seen. No special education exists that makes me able to give a true opinion.  But from my perspective, this is not a mammoth tooth. Here is a picture from the Kentucky Geological Survey. Notice on this side view, all "lines" are parallel. I am not seeing that in your photos. In addition, the tooth biting surface as shown with GPayton's post also contains parallel ridges. Yours does not. Hopefully members better educated will disagree with me!!!!!!!!!

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by minnbuckeye

[GPayton]

On 5/11/2022 at 8:49 AM, minnbuckeye said:

Here is a picture from the Kentucky Geological Survey. Notice on this side view, all "lines" are parallel. I am not seeing that in your photos. In addition, the tooth biting surface as shown with GPayton's post also contains parallel ridges. Yours does not. 

I think I've caused some confusion because of how I worded what I said. When I commented on the horizontal wrinkles, I wasn't referring to the ridges on the top of the tooth or the dividing lines between the roots. I was speaking in reference to wrinkles I'm seeing on the enamel plates themselves below the occlusal surface. And as for the lack of parallel ridges in the second picture, that's why I was guessing that if this actually is a portion of a mammoth tooth it was from near the anterior edge where the ridges on the top of the tooth don't look very much like lines and more closely resemble circles. Part of this I blame on the picture I included in my reply which didn't very accurately convey what I was trying to describe. This drawing is much better:

accurately show 
The structures labeled as plate tubercules are what I think I'm seeing in the second picture that was originally posted by @Jbenton. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by GPayton

[Jbenton]

@GPayton thanks for the help. I’ve read about milk teeth which are the same size. Thoughts on this being one?

[Jbenton]

If this is a baby mammoth tooth, which side was the chewing surface? @Harry Pristis any ideas? You always have good insight here. Thanks 

[Harry Pristis]

18 minutes ago, Jbenton said:

If this is a baby mammoth tooth, which side was the chewing surface? @Harry Pristis any ideas? You always have good insight here. Thanks 

 

Sorry, I have no guess.

[Jbenton]

@Harry Pristis thanks. Do you know what animal would have circular chewing surface enamel like this? I know mammoth has similar. I thought horse but doesn’t line up. Just looking for an idea as I love to research this stuff. Thanks!

[val horn]

capybara and warthogs have molars with multiple clumps of circular cusps ( as do mice and rats but the size would be way off)  I was looking at tooth shapes on the web and came across these pictures-- never seen it in hand.  mot sure the pic will load you may need to google harthog molars for yourself.

warthog.webp