RussellvdG 1 Posted November 25, 2016 Found these 6 months ago on central oregon coast and haven't been able to ID. A buddy came over for thanksgiving and texted some pics around to other folks. Best answer came this morning as desmostylus teeth. I never would have thought teeth, they seem more like a coral or sea anemone to my untrained eye. Looking at pictures of desmo teeth, they are mostly smaller and heavily warn down. If these are teeth, were they unused/ or unemerged from the jaw like adult teeth replacing a baby tooth? Ill put up some more pics, and any info/ confirmation is appreciated. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boesse 1,721 Posted November 25, 2016 Yup, these are certainly Desmostylus teeth! Recovered before from the Astoria Formation near Newport, but not super common either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RussellvdG 1 Posted November 25, 2016 Very cool, thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carl 1,484 Posted November 25, 2016 Absolutely fantastic! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRK 122 Posted November 25, 2016 Sweet! Were they found in association with each other ( the same day) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RussellvdG 1 Posted November 25, 2016 Yes. They were both within a couple feet of each other and found within as many minutes. They were both in sorta concretions that were falling out of eroding substrate that was full of clam and snail fossils. Just broke them open and there they were. Im heading back to that spot soon to see if there is anything else. I had no idea they were teeth! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRK 122 Posted November 25, 2016 Yess, I noticed they are quite similar size and preservation. Quite possibly from the same individual. So it would be prudent to resume your search in that same area Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fossilized6s 760 Posted November 25, 2016 Those are beautiful!!! Definitely a fossil on my bucket list. Congratulations. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caldigger 8,238 Posted November 25, 2016 Yep, definitely Desi's. A friend of mine pulled a complete grouping of unerupted about 3 feet from where I was digging. Unworn, they look just like a bunch of bananas, going to a blunt point on the mesial ends. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRK 122 Posted November 26, 2016 Where were you digging? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RussellvdG 1 Posted November 26, 2016 Wasn't digging at all. My mom was visiting from out of town and we were beach combing for agate, jasper, etc. Saw a bunch of snail, clam, scallop fossils in rocks at base of eroding hillside. Looking for a whole scallop shell fossil that was in tact in the rocks, I saw what seemed like a partially formed concretion sticking out of some really crumbly substrate. Grabbed it and gave it a whack on another rock and the teeth material separated pretty well from the rest. We were near depot bay on a stretch of beach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRK 122 Posted November 26, 2016 Oops, sorry I ment caldigger. yes I see from the pics you were collecting the cliffs south of otter crest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abyssunder 5,574 Posted November 28, 2016 It is an excellent find ! Congrats ! Some informations related to the desmostylians of Oregon, more precisely Desmostylus, could be found in H. Hannibal. 1922. Notes on Tertiary Sirenians of the Genus Desmostylus. Journal of Mammalogy 3(4):238-240. I made an easy to handle excerpt of the large document and I'll post it here. Hope this helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caldigger 8,238 Posted November 28, 2016 On 11/25/2016 at 5:01 PM, PRK said: Where were you digging? The dig site is an undocumented "secret" location in Monterey County. Sorry that's the best I can give you due to it being a friends location and he has been gracious enough to share it with me. You can find lots of pieces, but complete Desmostylus teeth are extremely rare since it was a fluvial environment and the majority of items are found broken up and worn. So him finding a complete unworn cluster is a big rarity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coco 2,042 Posted December 2, 2016 I am always impressed by these teeth. In what period lived this animal ? Coco Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abyssunder 5,574 Posted December 2, 2016 Oligocene–Miocene Desmostylus Type specimen : Desmostylus cymatias: USNM 8191, a partial skull. Its type locality is Cape Foulweather, which is in a Burdigalian marine horizon in the Astoria Formation of Oregon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
