Khyssa Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I'm pretty sure this isn't a fossil although it's probably at least a few years old. I found this jaw bone while sifting in a shallow creek in Gainesville, FL and think that it's from a bobcat. It's a neat enough find that I plan on keeping it and it would be handy to use for comparisons in the future if I can be sure of it's identity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 More pictures. The tops of the back teeth are so badly worn that I would think this came from an old animal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calhounensis Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Procyon lotor, raccoon left mandible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Raccoon. www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 I had thought it might be bobcat because it didn't have as many teeth as all of the images of raccoon skulls/jaw bones that I found online. All the images that I had found showed 6 teeth behind the canine (4 pre-molars and 2 molars) while this jaw bone only had 3 teeth behind the canine although I now see that there appears to be one empty socket just behind the canine. I'm trying to get better at identifying things on my own. I found a really handy chart while I was trying to figure out what I had. http://wildwoodtracking.com/skulls/dentalformulae.html What in particular tells you that this is a raccoon jaw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Here's a (blurry) photo of a known bobcat for comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 It appears this animal sustained some type of injury during it's life which caused it to lose two of its premolars (p2 and p3). The alveoli for the two missing teeth closed up. The alveolus for the p1 is still present. www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Here's a fossil raccoon jaw for comparison. This jaw is also missing the first premolar (p1). www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 I hadn't taken into consideration that the extra teeth might have been lost and the alveola closed up. The fact that the rest of the teeth are so badly worn should have been a clue that some of the teeth could be missing. I'll have to remember to take that into account in the future. I can now see the difference in the shape of the jaw as well. Thank you for all the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramo Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Khyssa, Another way to tell the difference other than the jaw shape is the tooth shape. Both animals have canines that show a predatory animal, but take a look at the back teeth. Cats have sharp teeth at the back. Kind of like scissors for slicing off chunks of meat. The raccoon, (like other omnivores) has grinding teeth at the back for processing plant matter. Form meets function. Ramo For one species to mourn the death of another is a new thing under the sun. -Aldo Leopold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) Hey Khyssa, nice find--fossil or not. I love finding stuff like this and have been slowly collecting pieces of critters---great reference material. I found a similar racoon piece awhile back and unfortunately missing alot more teeth. Coincidentally today, I actually saw a Florida Bobcat crossing the road in front of me in a subdivision In Lakewood Ranch, Florida where I was working. It wasn't sticking around for me to take a photo but I was in awe anyways.. Regards, Chris Edited February 5, 2015 by Plantguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Lucky you to see a wild bobcat in person! I live a block away from the Withlacotchee State Forest and have seen and heard signs of bobcats near my house but have yet to actually see one. People near me who have horses have seen them drinking from their troughs. I also like to collect recent bits of bones, particularly skulls, when I find them while going on hikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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