Sharkbyte Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) This is a collection of fossil Dolphin teeth and ear bones that were found in Aurora, NC in the Lee Creek Phosphate mine over the years. Some self collected and some purchased. In the mix of teeth are a couple of teeth that I don't believe are Dolphin. I'm hoping I can get a positive id on them. These are from the Yorktown and Pungo River formations. Teeth and Ear Bone collection Ear Bones Pilot Whale tooth??? 1-1/2" long Dolphin tooth or seal tooth??? 15/16" long root to tip Edited February 2, 2012 by Sharkbyte "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Thanks Rick. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Sharkbyte, first you have a great collection of dolphin material. there. I love the teeth and ear bones. I have quite a few of each myself from Aurora. The second tooth in question is dolphin, I have several of them. They do resemble seal molars, but it is dolphin. The first tooth is on the large end for dolphin/ porpoise but I have seen a few that big. However I am not convinced it is dolphin. You just possibly may have a pilot whale tooth there. Hopefully someone can ID it positively for you. Don 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...
Sharkbyte Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Thanks Don, I am hoping and thinking myself, that it is Pilot whale. That would be pretty cool. Probably not a rare find but it would be cool. Bobby "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squalicorax Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 very nice finds bobby My Flickr Page of My Collection: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79424101@N00/sets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Cool finds Bobby. Congratulations! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Thanks Don, I am hoping and thinking myself, that it is Pilot whale. That would be pretty cool. Probably not a rare find but it would be cool. Bobby you may want to take some more pics of the tooth at some different angles including from the top of the root. That could help in a positive ID. 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...
cowsharks Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I have a couple of teeth like your first tooth that other folks ID'd for me as "Pilot whale". I'm fairly confident of the ID since it doesn't match other teeth ID'd as Dolphin or seal. I sure wish there was good documentation out there to assist with ID'ing dolphin, whale, seal teeth. Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) came across the Maryland Geological Surveys' "Miocene Tooth Fossil" page, pretty cool site with many other references in the Pamphlet Series, including some Calvert and general MD. publications, thought someone might enjoy it... there are also more links to a museum site as well as a Calvert fossil hunting sites page Edited February 2, 2012 by xonenine "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel59 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Nice collection there Bobby. I am still waiting to find some dolphin material.. I think I have a few but not like you have thanks for sharing... Jeff/Tarheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 very nice finds bobby Thank you Squalicorax. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Cool finds Bobby. Congratulations! Thanks Bullsnake. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Nice collection there Bobby. I am still waiting to find some dolphin material.. I think I have a few but not like you have thanks for sharing... Jeff/Tarheel Thanks Jeff. I did find some of these items and others were purchased from ebay. All are Lee Crrek material though. Bobby "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 came across the Maryland Geological Surveys' "Miocene Tooth Fossil" page, pretty cool site with many other references in the Pamphlet Series, including some Calvert and general MD. publications, thought someone might enjoy it... there are also more links to a museum site as well as a Calvert fossil hunting sites page Thanks for the link Xonenine, I'll check it out. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hello Daryl, I think it probably is Pilot Whale. I'm like you, it can be challenging to differentiate between teeth at times. Bobby "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hey Folks, Tooth #1 is not from a pilot whale. Globicephala has teeth that are three times that size, are more robust, and are anteroposteriorly flattened. This tooth can be identified as an indeterminate (but small bodied) delphinoid, and is of appropriate size to be from a "normal" sized delphinid like Tursiops, Lagenorhynchus, or Stenella, all of which are known from the Yorktown (the teeth of which are indistinguishable from one another). Tooth #2 is from an indeterminate odontocete; it could belong to the "kentriodontid" Delphinodon, or possibly to Pocageneus (a platanistoid odontocete), or possibly to Tretosphrys (an odontocete of unknown affinities); all of these taxa are middle Miocene in age and have little cusps on the posterior heels like that. The periotic shown with the tympanic is from a delphinine delphinid, and represents something like Delphinus, Stenella, Tursiops, or Lagenorhynchus. The two larger periotics are from pygmy sperm whales (Kogiidae indet., possibly Aprixokogia). Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleoc Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ditto to Boesse. The pilot whale skull I saw had teeth about the thickness of your thumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thanks a lot Bobby, I was hoping you would see and comment on this post. I appreciate all the great information that you have provided. Bobby "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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