Atomusuku Posted August 9, 2022 Share Posted August 9, 2022 Hello, first time poster here and novice about fossils in general. I just have some questions about a broken charcharodontosaurid tooth I saw on another thread here. To my untrained eye, parts of the interior appear crystalline. If that’s the case, I’ve never heard of anything like this. If not, I’d love to know what I’m actually looking at. Original thread: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/118674-big-spinosaurus-tooth/ Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth_ Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 Welcome to TFF! I can't speak specifically about the tooth in your post but fossils aren't strictly "rock".... In the opal fields of Australia, it's possible to find opalised fossils - belemnites and shellfish It's also possible to get agatised fossils - on youtube, search for Paleo Kris - he has cut open agatised coral. Belemnite opal fossil from Australia Australian opal shells 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atomusuku Posted August 10, 2022 Author Share Posted August 10, 2022 3 hours ago, Gareth_ said: Welcome to TFF! I can't speak specifically about the tooth in your post but fossils aren't strictly "rock".... In the opal fields of Australia, it's possible to find opalised fossils - belemnites and shellfish It's also possible to get agatised fossils - on youtube, search for Paleo Kris - he has cut open agatised coral. Belemnite opal fossil from Australia Australian opal shells Thanks for the reply! I'd already known about opalized fossils, but agatized ones are new to me! At a glance this seems similar, but I've never seen anything like it from the Kem Kem beds. That said, nobody in the original thread drew any attention to the tooth's apparent crystal-like internals, so I feel like it's something that's not unknown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josesaurus rex Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 On 8/10/2022 at 12:05 PM, Atomusuku said: Thanks for the reply! I'd already known about opalized fossils, but agatized ones are new to me! At a glance this seems similar, but I've never seen anything like it from the Kem Kem beds. That said, nobody in the original thread drew any attention to the tooth's apparent crystal-like internals, so I feel like it's something that's not unknown. Hi how are you? It's a very good guess, but I don't think you're right. I am the owner of that tooth, and I am pleased to help you solve your doubt. The fossil in question shows no signs of being opalized or agatized. The tones that may seem translucent in these photos are due to the flash of the phone camera with which I took them, which reflected many cold tones (those that are in the range of blues, greenish and violets). Today in the afternoon I took other photos that are presented below, using direct sunlight. You can clearly see that the inside of the tooth is a paler pinkish color than the redder colored enamel. In addition, it can be seen that there are very small fractures on the inside, for which I think that whoever prepared the tooth, or the seller himself, has applied some type of glue or consolidant to prevent further fractures. That is why it has a few grains of sand attached, which may be remains of the matrix that contained the tooth. In conclusion, the structure of my tooth is not a crystalline or translucent material, and transparency is not appreciated against the light. I hope I don't disappoint you with my answer, and I encourage you to ask more questions if you wish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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