Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) I have found a few gator teeth in the past, but they have all just had a slight curve. Found one yesterday that curves up and to the side. Is this pathological, is it normal and I just typically don't see that much root, or could it be a croc? I know there is currently only one crocodilian native to South Carolina, and that is Alligator mississippiensis, but I can't find anything saying if there were crocs here in the Oligocene or Miocene, which is mainly what I find represented in this creek. It has two carinae, which I believe could mean gator or croc. I read that croc is more curved than gator, which is my only reasoning for that possibility. New tooth: Next to my "typical" gator tooth: Thank you! Edited October 10, 2022 by Fin Lover Added corrected ID to title and tags 1 Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 gator with root - i'm like 99% sure! 1 Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 21 minutes ago, Fin Lover said: It has two carinae, which I believe could mean gator or croc. Indicates gator. A nice find and seems pathological. I've never seen ones where the root was not inline with the crown. Seems to be an oddity. Cheers. -Ken 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) Thanks for the clarification, @digit. I read on some old posts that gators always have two carinae but crocs could have none or multiples. I didn't figure it was croc, but thought I'd throw it out as a possibility. Edited October 9, 2022 by Fin Lover Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Your understanding is correct. Crocs tend to have a lot more carinae and gators have 2 very prominent carinae on opposite sides of the tooth making it look like it was press-molded. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 24 minutes ago, digit said: Crocs tend to have a lot more Thank you for the clarification...I wasn't really sure if "multiples" in this case just meant 2 or a lot more. Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 It’s a cetacean tooth. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) 50 minutes ago, digit said: Crocs tend to have a lot more Sorry, somehow I posted this twice. Edited October 9, 2022 by Fin Lover Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 3 minutes ago, Al Dente said: It’s a cetacean tooth. ...I can see this. Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 7 minutes ago, Al Dente said: It’s a cetacean tooth. I looked for cetacean tooth pictures before I posted to make sure that wasn't a possiblity, but I didn't see any that led me down that path. It is definitely a different tooth position than the couple other cetacean teeth I have found (and much larger). Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganeura Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 2 minutes ago, Fin Lover said: I looked for cetacean tooth pictures before I posted to make sure that wasn't a possiblity, but I didn't see any that led me down that path. It is definitely a different tooth position than the couple other cetacean teeth I have found (and much larger). I found a cetacean tooth recently that has the same curve, albeit a decent bit smaller. Fossils? I dig it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) I haven't seen @Al Dente proven wrong once during my time on this forum so, if he says cetacean, then I'll go with cetacean. Edited October 9, 2022 by Fin Lover 1 Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 22 minutes ago, Al Dente said: It’s a cetacean tooth. I agree with this possibility. Does not appear to be croc or gator to me. South Carolina has a large variety of fossil cetacean. From smaller dolphin type teeth to much larger beaked whales. @Boesse 1 1 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 The good thing about being a beginner and throwing out wrong possibilities is that then I get to learn more about all of them. 2 Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Here are some similar ones from this web site-http://www.blackriverfossils.org/Articles/AssociatedSqualodonTeeth/tabid/61/Default.aspx 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 The curvature would definitely be more indicative of cetacean. I haven't seen cetacean teeth with distinctive carinae though but I see more gator teeth than cetacean. Good call @Al Dente for getting us on the proper track. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Thanks @Al Dente. Black River Fossils called those squalodon teeth, but papers I've read say there are no squalodon here, so I will stick with cetacean. 4 minutes ago, digit said: Good call @Al Dente for getting us on the proper track Yes, thank you for getting me on the right track... I'm the one who started us off wrong. Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 13 hours ago, Fin Lover said: I know there is currently only one crocodilian native to South Carolina, and that is Alligator mississippiensis, but I can't find anything saying if there were crocs here in the Oligocene or Miocene, which is mainly what I find represented in this creek. Thecachampsa should be present, they are found along the east coast in Oligocene and Miocene strata. Here’s a paper describing how to differentiate it from Alligator.- https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1HtUwlDORQ0UXZVRGJncGhwVGc/view?pli=1&resourcekey=0-P71LSLwGfo4fOIK-v2OGKA 13 hours ago, Fin Lover said: I read on some old posts that gators always have two carinae but crocs could have none or multiples. I’ve never seen a croc or gator tooth that didn’t have a pair of carinae, with the exception of some small “button teeth” from the back of the jaw. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 @Al Dente, thanks so much! Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fin Lover Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 I did find an old post with this picture from the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History: I could see my tooth being something like the rc1 shown here. Not saying it's the same species, but it helps me see it. 3 1 1 Fin Lover My favorite things about fossil hunting: getting out of my own head, getting into nature and, if I’m lucky, finding some cool souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 This is indeed a tooth of Ankylorhiza, our giant dolphin, and likely represents the 'canine' or one of the anterior postcanine teeth, pc1-4. Dolphin teeth have a bend between the root and the crown whereas croc teeth are usually evenly curved; the teeth of dolphins tend to have roots that are bent posteriorly and the crown is vertical but bends in the transverse (e.g. left to right) plane. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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