Help? I Have Been Seeing These Often As I Go Through Our Bags, Could They Be Anything?

[kennedyskorner]

I have been seeing more and more of these as I sort through our bags. They were found in Aurora, Missouri in the past year.

I have about 10 of these, (and counting) that seem to have a very similar shape and size, they may be nothing but I am just curious since I find it odd that I have come across many of them.

They all range around 1" in length and 1/2 " in width.

Common traits:

They all seem to have an odd 'tri-cut' body (I know I am explaining it wrong. The closest thing I can think of the way a dagger might be shaped, with the 'rise' coming down the middle.

They usually curve either left or right.

They also more often than not seem to have serrated edges and at the very top of the wide end, they seem to have been either 'broken' off Some of them seemed as if they could just be chipped, but others, it seems very uniform and consistent.

I will try to add more detailed pics of these I thought this might grab someone's attention if they look familiar, but the details seem very difficult to photograph.. but I will try my best.

Thanks again!

Danielle

[Fossildude19]

Sorry, but I am just seeing rocks here.

Sometimes, when rocks are mechanically crushed, you end up with the same type of debris.

Keep looking, though.

Regards,

[smileylizard]

you may want to take a look at the Mosasauridae., especially the smaller varieties, such as Clidaste.

[kennedyskorner]

Sorry, but I am just seeing rocks here.

Sometimes, when rocks are mechanically crushed, you end up with the same type of debris.

Keep looking, though.

Regards,

Thank you, Tim! I just couldn't bring myself to toss them without an opinion.

[kennedyskorner]

you may want to take a look at the Mosasauridae., especially the smaller varieties, such as Clidaste.

I will look into that. Thank you

[painshill]

I dunno what the relevance of Mosasauridae might be. Those are, as Tim says, broken pieces of rock (looks like chert) not fossils. If there was context to suggest so then they might be lithic debris from knapping, but those shapes are common natural breakage forms and the edges often take on an apparently serrated appearance if there has been any water-tumbling. We call that kind of pseduo-knapping "chattering".

Edited October 31, 2014 by painshill

[Fossildude19]

you may want to take a look at the Mosasauridae., especially the smaller varieties, such as Clidaste.

These look nothing like mosasaur teeth.

You really should examine things a bit closer, before presenting ideas that are not remotely relevant to what is pictured.

There is no enamel present to signify teeth. The shape is completely wrong for mosasaur teeth, and serrations on mosasaur teeth are not nearly so jagged looking.

Also, a quick google search leads me to believe no mosasaur teeth have ever been recorded from Missouri.

Regards,

Edited October 31, 2014 by Fossildude19

[Xiphactinus]

Howdy! Aurora is firmly in the Mississippian area of Missouri. What you have is broken chert, which is common in the Burlington Limestone formation that outcrops around Aurora. It breaks into shards like you have....that's why chert was a common rock for making arrowheads and other Native American tools.

Fear not! You are in a great area for fossils. Do some google searching of Burlington crinoids. That's what you need to look for.

Fossildude...just fyi, there has been a grand total of 1 mosasaur tooth from Missouri (which I have had the pleasure of holding). It was found in a mega-tsunami deposit in Stoddard County. It is suspected to be from the impact that killed the dinosaurs. Pretty cool.

[Fossildude19]

Howdy! Aurora is firmly in the Mississippian area of Missouri. What you have is broken chert, which is common in the Burlington Limestone formation that outcrops around Aurora. It breaks into shards like you have....that's why chert was a common rock for making arrowheads and other Native American tools.

Fear not! You are in a great area for fossils. Do some google searching of Burlington crinoids. That's what you need to look for.

Fossildude...just fyi, there has been a grand total of 1 mosasaur tooth from Missouri (which I have had the pleasure of holding). It was found in a mega-tsunami deposit in Stoddard County. It is suspected to be from the impact that killed the dinosaurs. Pretty cool.

Aha! Thanks for that info, X-man! I stand corrected.

Regards,

[smileylizard]

These look nothing like mosasaur teeth.

You really should examine things a bit closer, before presenting ideas that are not remotely relevant to what is pictured.

There is no enamel present to signify teeth. The shape is completely wrong for mosasaur teeth, and serrations on mosasaur teeth are not nearly so jagged looking.

Also, a quick google search leads me to believe no mosasaur teeth have ever been recorded from Missouri.

Regards,

[Fossildude19]

cooncr4.jpgmed_gallery_4072_1595_223962.jpg3490567.jpg542908734_o.jpgMosasaur Teeth.jpgimages.jpg

[Xiphactinus]

Smiley - other than vaguely general shape, they don't look anything like a mosasaur tooth.

[Fossildude19]

Please point out to me the features, (other than general shape), that point to these being Mosasaur teeth.

To me, they are rocks, and show no features of teeth. Can you point out any distinguishing features?

Regards,

[tmaier]

Remember Smileylizard, the devil is in the details. Zoom in close to the specimens and look at texture and other small features.

[fossilized6s]

Smileylizard, you can continue to look at pictures of teeth, dino bones, etc until you're blue in the face. But to actually see one, hold one, study one in person you won't fully grasp the true details, textures, feel, etc of a true specimen. I think a trip to your local museum would serve you well sir.

Science is based off of facts and not assumptions, plain and simple.

[smileylizard]

I will look into that. Thank you

Danielle,

Upon further review, I believe these are far more likely to be croc, rather than Mosasaur., and surely more than "just rocks" lor limestone , or chert chards. Perhaps someone can provide you with further details. I've learned quite a bit myself.

[painshill]

Smiley... I'm sorry but you are doing a great disservice to Danielle. Those are emphatically not fossil teeth (from any kind of animal) and it seems that - far from having "learned quite a bit myself" - you have learned nothing at all from the responses being posted, or from your Google searches. That was also the case for your "sauropod tooth" misidentification on another recent thread.

Edited October 31, 2014 by painshill

[fossilized6s]

Lol, oh i see it now!! Hahaha.......awwww.

These aren't teeth of any sort Danielle, im sure YOU know that by now..... Im sorry that your reasonably curious thread has turned into....(well)....this.

[smileylizard]

Smiley... I'm sorry but you are doing a great disservice to Danielle. Those are emphatically not fossil teeth (from any kind of animal) and it seems that - far from having "learned quite a bit myself" - you have learned nothing at all from the responses being posted, or from your Google searches. That was also the case for your "sauropod tooth" misidentification on another recent thread.

I've learned very much from the responses being posted. believe that.

[tmaier]

I've learned very much from the responses being posted. believe that.

Are you just teasing us.

[Xiphactinus]

Sorry - those are not teeth. Nothing about them is characteristic of a fossil tooth. 100% confidence in that.

[RyanNREMTP]

Danielle, if you can please take a few more pictures and post them here. I think that will settle the discussion.

[kennedyskorner]

Oh my goodness!

Well, thank you ALL for taking the time to look into this for me and to respond.

Upon further review, (with magnified assistance) the pieces are as most of you have suggested, just pieces of smoothed rock. (I am by no means experienced in this field but I would assume there would be some type of difference where the nerve might have been - such as an indent, or hollow of some sort?)

However, I have found a couple pieces I would like to research a bit more.. I don't believe they were in the pics i posted here, but if I do feel as if it could be something more, I will make sure I get some nice detailed pictures on here.

And Smiley, I'll keep looking... there is bound to be a tooth here somewhere

Thank you again everyone! You are all amazing.

Danielle

[kennedyskorner]

Danielle, if you can please take a few more pictures and post them here. I think that will settle the discussion.

I will do that Ryan, I will have time in the next couple days. I'll photograph them individually and try to get as much detail as possible. Thank you.

[kennedyskorner]

Okay here goes. I tried to locate the same stones and attempted to get close and clear. I apologize that it took so long for me to get back here.

Hopefully this will help you in clearing the matter up

Thank you for viewing and your time

Danielle