carrawhite Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Hi. My daughter found this in the river the other day. Is it from a cow? Is it even a fossil or just an old tooth that's been in the river a while? Would love to know. Thanks Carra (Somerset, UK) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megabass22 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I own a couple of bronze age cow teeth, and only the Second picture resembles it (as far as i remember), i can take a look ar them when i get back home on friday, but i think you will have an ID from someone else by then. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 It's an equid horse lower cheek tooth . . . a deciduous tooth. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Harry beat me to this diagnosis (with which I agree) while I was looking through my ID book for the closest match. Would seem like a lower right possibly p2 (first pre-molar) if I'm understanding the reference correctly. Horse teeth are way cooler than cow chompers anyday--congratulations on an interesting find. Now you'll have to go back to that river and see if you can find any areas of black gravel to see if you can locate any additional fossils. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrawhite Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Thanks so much for all your replies. Do you think its a fossil or just 'old' and aged by the river? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Much easier to determine with species that no longer roam the planet for example (despite "claims" presented by the Discovery Channel) a megalodon tooth is guaranteed to be a fossil and not from a recent (extant) individual. Horses are a family with an interesting story. Equids (family Equidae) seem to have been around since the Eocene--some 50+ mya though it wasn't till the Miocene (~23-5 mya) that they started looking more like modern horses. The Thomas Farm fossil site in central Florida has a wealth of individuals from several species dating to around 18 mya. But it wasn't till around 4 mya though that the modern genus Equus evolved which then used the Bering Land Bridge (Beringia) about 2.5 mya to spread rapidly throughout the Eurasian landmass. In North America horses died out (possibly as recently as 7-8 thousand years ago) till their reintroduction in the 1500's by Spanish explorers. So horses came to repopulate their birth continent after a trip around the globe (and a lift on some ships). I may have some of these facts a bit off and others are welcome to correct me but I find this a fascinating story. Back to your tooth--is it millions of years old or decades? One simple test for bone is to use a match (or heated wire in come cases to be more delicate) to see if there is any collagen remaining in the bone. Burning collagen gives off an unpleasant odor. I don't think tooth enamel (composed largely of a calcium phosphate material called apatite) reacts the same way so I don't think the 'match test' works on teeth. Your tooth certainly has the coloration of a fossil tooth (matching those found here in Florida rivers). If it feels relatively heavy and lithified (transformed to stone) then I'd suspect it is indeed fossilized and not relatively modern. I'd go back to the river where it was found and search around to see if you can locate any other black gravel. Poke around (or better yet-sift) through that gravel and see if any other items turn up. That can help you to confirm it is a fossil (if you find lots of other fossil material) and could make for a great place to hunt for paleontological treasures. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Ken sums it up nicely, another way to determine age is to look at the geology of the area in which you found it. Perhaps some key words including the name of the river where you found the tooth and "fossils" could get a few hits if is a known fossil site. That could confirm it is likely a fossil. If you don't mind sharing the location info here perhaps some of the other British members could chime in "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrawhite Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Thanks I don't mind at all. I found it by the bridge at Edford Wood Radstock, Somerset BA3 The whole river is black gravel and has many sources, mostly through underground caves. It does feel heavy and like stone so I'm presuming from what you've said that it is a fossil. My kids often go there to play on a rope swing so I'll have another poke around. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 River full of black gravel? Sounds like someone needs to make a sifting screen and join the fossil hunting addiction. If you are so inclined, a while back I described the construction of the sifting screen and other equipment I use while hunting for fossils in the rivers/creeks in South Florida. You might find the information useful should you decide to construct a sifting screen. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/42992-end-of-year-peace-river-trip/?p=467550 Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I agree with Harry. dp4. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taogan Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 The area has Carboniferous plant fossils in the bedrock, but I can't remember much information on anything else. The tooth could be old or recent, no way of telling from the location or the picture only checking to see how mineralised it is will give some indication and even then not an accurate one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now