Late Pennsylvanian Fish Tooth

[cngodles]

Whatever this fish tooth is, I've never found one before. I had a small sliver showing in a rock and spent over an hour slowly air scribing over it and getting it to this point. I'm hesitant to go much further, as I may break it.

 

I considered Polyacrodus for the shape, but I see none with the pitted pattern that this has. Tired of trying to ID Pennsylvanian fish teeth yet, @connorp? Maybe this is another paver type teeth from a ray, etc.

 

For scale, the length of the tooth in the first photo is 13 mm.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by cngodles
measurement.

[Lone Hunter]

Could it be bryzoan? 

[cngodles]

I found another pitted tooth in the same strata two years ago (CG-0101 Detalodus sp., photo below). They do look similar to bryozoans, but I think the spacing and size of the holes that the zooids live is different. I think bryozoan are usually more oval shaped and usually lined up. The pits on this are more randomly distributed and rounded.

 

But, I won't rule it out. I just feel that it's unlikely with the shape and size of this.

 

 

[cngodles]

I am leaning towards Orodus. The size and shape seem to fit well.

[Misha]

1 hour ago, Lone Hunter said:

Could it be bryzoan? 

Holocephalian crusher teeth can look a lot like bryozoa but they often have a specific shape to them, with more sparse, finer pitting, and they are made up of enamel unlike bryozoa.

[connorp]

Orodus seems reasonable.* Nice tooth.

 

* "Distinguishing between isolated orodont and eugeneodont teeth is still a hazardous occupation, often becoming a matter of arbitrary and intuitive opinion." (Handbook of Paleoichthyology Vol. 3D)

[cngodles]

8 hours ago, connorp said:

Distinguishing between isolated orodont and eugeneodont teeth is still a hazardous occupation, often becoming a matter of arbitrary and intuitive opinion

I agree with that. Photos online run a wide gamut. Now I need to figure out if I should just stop prepping it or go a little further. Thank you all.

 

Also some interesting features within the order:

 

• These are a mesio-distally elongated crushing tooth.
• The lateral cusps are fused with the center. Gives it the smooth flowing appearance from center cusp to the lateral ones. (There is one broken/missing on mine, it was outside of the matrix, so likely eroded away)
• The pitted appearance of the crown is due to composition of tubular dentine.

 

As for pitted dentine, which is a feature often with crushing type teeth, I have a microscopic photo of this feature. My Detalodus tooth specimen was broken when I found it. You can see the channels that run through the tooth, the surface is at the top of the photo.

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by cngodles