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Teeth found South Downs


SussexMike

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Found in earth moved for works on the South Downs all within about 15 yards of each other. The sub base under the 3 foot earth layer is solid chalk. I was metal detecting when I started to find what looks like teeth. They are hard like stone but they are not Flint. Most have something like Flint but whiter attached in some parts. There are a few possible bones. I have cleaned the surface of some of the bigger tooth shapes and they clean up like Ivory. Very smooth. The large ones are about 3 inches long on the tooth but about 4-5 inch including the roots. Some smaller ones are about an inch long. I have now collected 5 shopping bags full.post-20852-0-94828400-1457520688_thumb.jpegpost-20852-0-92890600-1457520722_thumb.jpeg

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Welcome to the forum! They're all flint nodules, the white outside layer being the characteristic cortex that is also formed of silica.

It looks as if quite a few of them are formed around sponges, I'm afraid none of them are teeth or bones though.

Tarquin

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I will take some better pictures. There are teeth and bones. The one in the first picture is like Ivory definitely NOT a Flint it's definitely a tooth and off a very large animal. Just need to know what I have found.i have lived in Sussex long enough to know the difference between a Flint and a tooth. Some have Flint attached to them but the main body of the object is white and smooth without a cold feel that Flint has. Much softer as well.

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I did some adjusting with your pictures.

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Sorry, but I am not seeing any teeth. :unsure:

I see no likeness of enamel, and am not seeing any bone structure in your photos.

Maybe better pictures will help.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
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Looking at your impressive collection, some of them reminds me of infilled borrows, others sponges (as Tarquin said), few of them resembling rudists. I don't imagine a Mosasaurus with such big teeth like what are supposed to be the specimens in question. Maybe I'm wrong. http://www.geoessex.org.uk/the_chalk.html

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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Flint cortex is often soft and can replace most or all of the original flint to look just like that, so it doesn’t look like flint anymore. I'm not seeing anything vertebrate there, sorry.

Tarquin

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The circled area is somewhat suggestive of cancellous bone, but the image is not very sharp.

There is no evidence of enamel, though.

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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I will take some better pictures. There are teeth and bones. The one in the first picture is like Ivory definitely NOT a Flint it's definitely a tooth and off a very large animal. Just need to know what I have found.i have lived in Sussex long enough to know the difference between a Flint and a tooth. Some have Flint attached to them but the main body of the object is white and smooth without a cold feel that Flint has. Much softer as well.

It's not uncommon for flint nodules to have a calcareous "cortex" that transitions from hard to soft.

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Flint for me too. The top looks no different from the bottom where you would expect to see tooth and root difference. Cut what you think is bone in half. You would see a honeycomb texture if was bone. Ivory, if you touch it with a hot needle, will char and turn black.

Certainly with the number of pieces you have someone else would have found something and looking on google that doesn't seem to be the case.

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I will chime in as well as one who has been collecting teeth and bones for upwards of 20 years... I don't see any teeth or bones in these. Whether they are flint or fossil sponges... I will leave that to others who know UK rocks better than I do.

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Took this with different camera hope you can see the gum lines. Not as clear on some but it's there. There is a difference in material the tooth is smooth and what is the bone is rough.

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Took this with different camera hope you can see the gum lines. Not as clear on some but it's there. There is a difference in material the tooth is smooth and what is the bone is rough.

This photo very clearly indicates that these are flint nodules. If you break one in half, you can see it for yourself.

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Why not take a few samples to a local university or museum and have them looked at by a professional geologist or paleontologist?

We seem to be at loggerheads on these.

Everyone who answered has lots of experience with fossils, and we are not convinced that you have any fossil bones or teeth posted here.

Best at this point to have a pro look at them, I think.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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Looking at your impressive collection, some of them reminds me of infilled borrows, others sponges (as Tarquin said), few of them resembling rudists. I don't imagine a Mosasaurus with such big teeth like what are supposed to be the specimens in question. Maybe I'm wrong. http://www.geoessex.org.uk/the_chalk.html

I'm not familiar with flint modules (which is really lucky for us, we have enough to contend with dealing with the concretions around here), but I can safely rule out Mosasaur, for sure.

I'm in agreement that I don't see teeth here. Nature can be cruel; I can't tell you how many times I thought I hit a home run only to wipe it off and realize it was a rock! The good news is, you obviously seem to like digging so use this site as a resource and find areas around you where you can put that to use and hopefully dig up something great! Knowledge is definitely power when it comes to digging fossils and you are in the right place for that.

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I'm no where near an expert. A novice at best but I would agree on the part of soft flint.

I've learned a lot and respect the members here with their knowledge.

Keep an open mind to their suggestions as they are real and honest. Just saying.

Cool finds even if they are just flint.

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Ok thanks every one for their comments I will take them in somewhere.

The reason I am certain they are teeth is that these items were also there in same spot which as you can see some are broken at the ends and you can see they were something.

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