ID teeth from Triassic, Aust, UK

[Mart1980]

I got a view year ago some teeth with the ID Rysosteus oweni. Now I have time to ID the tooth I was looking very carefull to the details. But have a problem to ID the. Tooth 1 is 0.9 cm ans Tooth 2 is 0.6 cm.

 

To compare them with Pachystropheus rhaeticus I need to know how a Pachystropheus rhaeticus tooth look like. I read many Aust papers but no pachystropheus rhaeticus tooth.

 

Who can help me with the correct ID? Is it Pachystropheus as sold, or Birgeria? It looks like Birgeria, but I like to compare them with some Pachystropheus fossils, as I dont know how they exaclty look like.

 

I got offered an other Pachystropheus rhaeticus tooth from another seller. But before I buy I need more info about this species.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Mart1980
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[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Hoi Martin,

 

To my knowledge no confirmed Pachystropheus rhaeticus teeth have ever been found (though @Welsh Wizard might know otherwise), although a particular online vendor did claim they were selling a lot of Pachystropheus-material, including jaws and teeth, a year ago or so. Unfortunately, however, even knowing that these teeth cannot be attributed to Pachystropheus, identification of Aust-teeth can be difficult due to their preservation. Notwithstanding, you are indeed correct in that the first tooth is a fish tooth, in context of Aust Cliff typically assigned to Severnichthys acuminatus. However, following Diependaal and Reumer (2021), this genus should be considered a nomen dubium (something I only just got aware of myself) and be reclassified as Bergeria acuminata, as you yourself already suggested. Below are some of the teeth identified as Severnichthys that match the morphology of your first tooth (see also here).

 

 

The second tooth is a bit trickier to identify, as the photographs are a bit dark and the ornamentation is a bit foggy. However, seeing as this tooth too has carinae and labyrintine ridges on the base of the tooth crown, I'd say this too is a Severnichthys, that is Bergeria acuminata tooth. In fact, these are some of the most commonly encountered teeth in the Rhaetic bone beds at Aust Cliff, with plesiosaur, pliosaur and ichthyosaur teeth being much, much rarer (for example).

Edited July 10, 2022 by pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon

[Mart1980]

Thank you very much! You confirm my thought. Obtained for a few euros at the time, so no damage in that regard.

[Welsh Wizard]

Hi

 

As far as I know there has been no material identified as pachystropheus skull or teeth.

 

The bulk of teeth from Aust tend to be identified as fish. With this in mind, there have been plenty of fish jaws found at Aust and they tend to contain the types of teeth as shown above. It does seem odd that no pachystropheus/reptile teeth have been identified. 
 

Fish bone does look different to reptile bone. Fish bone tends to be “stringy” not as dense and quite sticky when you prep it. You can also see it in the grain of the bone. They are different. All of the so called pachystropheus jaws I’ve seen for sale are fish jaws.

 

I think if you want to increase your chances of finding articulated or associated material then go to the Somerset coast. At Aust, you are highly unlikely to find articulated or associated material. 
 

Just keep looking. Some will turn up soon

 

Nick