Unidentified Tooth From Big Brook, Nj

[gdarone]

Hi all!

After a nice summer of collecting, the more puzzling task of idenitifying my new fossils is where I find myself.

I found this tooth using a mesh screen in the gravel bars in the stream about 100 yards downstream of the main parking area.

It doesn't seem to match the photos of the different shark teeth varieties that are found in Big Brook and NJ on the following websites:

http://www.njfossils.net/shark.html

http://www.fossilsofnj.com/

http://www.fossilguy.com/sites/bbrook/bbrook_col.htm

These sites have been my go-to for trying to id my fossils in NJ.

Anyone have any ideas about what type of tooth this is?

Thanks,

Greg

[BelemnBlues]

Hi Greg,

It is fairly worn down but looks to me like a lateral Scapanorhynchus texanus.

Luke

[erose]

I agree with Luke. Sometimes the roots get worn down so evenly that it still looks "complete" and not obviously weathered.

[gdarone]

Many thanks. That sounds like a reasonable id

[erose]

I always kept all of these odd ones, just in case they did prove to be something unusual. BB has consistently kicked out "new" things over the years. I know there is some work being done (Carl?) on revisions and maybe additions to the NJ Cretaceous vertebrate taxonomy.