Possible fossil tooth?

[matt2946]

Hey everyone! 
 

I will keep this one quick, I was doing some shark tooth hunting at Venice beach this past weekend (Caspersen) and found many standard teeth, but one stands out from the rest.

 

Part of me feels like it’s just a rock but it’s had me curious ever since I found it. 
 

Things that make me wonder:

- Shape of a tooth

- very symmetrical

- top is darker than bottom

 

Things that make me question:

- not smooth like (most) teeth

- thicker than most teeth

 

If it is a tooth, it looks thicker / blunter than a shark tooth, maybe a mammal? Although it has the texture more of a rock, I have found shark teeth like this on rare occasions. 
 

Any opinions on this object I found would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[Gareth_]

16 minutes ago, matt2946 said:

Part of me feels like it’s just a rock 

 

 

This part of you is correct!

Edited July 5, 2022 by Gareth_

[digit]

Yup. No enamel texture = not a tooth. This may very well be just another phosphate nodule which are very common in the area. The (wider) darker lumpy end seems to have some faint features of what could be a coprolite. @GeschWhat The lighter color material would then just be some matrix attached to it. Other than a long shot at it being a coprolite this does not appear to be any other type of fossil and is definitely not any form of a tooth.

 

Looks like you got a goodly amount and diversity of shark teeth. They certainly look like the ones that come from Caspersen Beach which tend to be tumbled in the surf and a bit worn down and polished. It's a fun place to hunt for "black gold" and a great option when the summer rains have pushed the river levels up keeping the fossils bearing gravel deposits out of reach. If you make it back down to Florida during our dry (non-hurricane) season you should investigate going out with one of the fossil guides to hunt in the rivers/streams where you can get some nice teeth that haven't been tumbled in the surf. These teeth can have some nice sharp points on them capable of "biting" you while you are working your way through the matrix gravel.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[matt2946]

Thanks for the replies! I guess it’s just a really symmetrical rock? 
 

Also, I just moved down to Tampa a couple months ago, any recommendations for best river / time of year? @digit I am trying to learn as I go here. 
 

I was snorkeling off Caspersian this weekend which was fun, but it’s definitely extremely picked over. I almost made a coprolite of my own when a beautiful Manatee swam right up to me and surprised me! 

 

[digit]

Just now, matt2946 said:

Also, I just moved down to Tampa a couple months ago,

If you are here permanently and not just visiting for the summer then an update of "Location" in your profile would be in order.

 

Exploring rivers for fossil hunting by sifting is definitely a dry season activity. Look through any of the posts from @Shellseeker to learn a lot about what can be found (with effort) in the rivers/creeks during the dry.

 

Snorkeling off the Gulf Coast during the summer months is a good option when the river levels are too high. Don't confine yourself to just Caspersen--you'll find a few other public beaches in the Venice area where you can park and snorkel (or dive if you were so certified) off the beach. Found some really nice teeth doing that including one of the two Great White teeth that I've found in Florida.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[FB003]

35 minutes ago, matt2946 said:

Thanks for the replies! I guess it’s just a really symmetrical rock? 
 

Also, I just moved down to Tampa a couple months ago, any recommendations for best river / time of year? @digit I am trying to learn as I go here. 
 

I was snorkeling off Caspersian this weekend which was fun, but it’s definitely extremely picked over. I almost made a coprolite of my own when a beautiful Manatee swam right up to me and surprised me! 

 

From Burlington to Tampa.  Good for you thats a huge climate change!

[matt2946]

3 minutes ago, FB003 said:

From Burlington to Tampa.  Good for you thats a huge climate change!

Yes sir! Zero regrets so far. 
 

 

[GeschWhat]

On 7/5/2022 at 9:09 AM, digit said:

Yup. No enamel texture = not a tooth. This may very well be just another phosphate nodule which are very common in the area. The (wider) darker lumpy end seems to have some faint features of what could be a coprolite. @GeschWhat The lighter color material would then just be some matrix attached to it. Other than a long shot at it being a coprolite this does not appear to be any other type of fossil and is definitely not any form of a tooth.

 

I agree with Ken.