Ice Age Tooth

[TNCollector]

Hello everyone. This is one of a series of posts that I will be making today. I am NOT familiar with fossils of this age so I really need some help with identification of these specimens.

 

I did some collecting this week in a creek that exposes 3 formations, one that is Late Miocene (fossiliferous), one that is Pliocene (not fossiliferous), and one that is Pleistocene (fossiliferous). 

 

None of the fossils were found within the formation itself, so I don't know what formation each specimen came from. I found several bones that were undoubtedly modern, but the ones I am posting look and feel fossilized to me.

 

This is a tooth I found. It is in great shape and I was super excited to find it. I am fairly sure that it is a carnivore tooth, but other than that I don't know. 

 

Let me know what you all think!

 

Miocene to Pleistocene

Mississippi

Tooth of who?

 

[FossilDudeCO]

I hope you find an ID, that is one GORGEOUS TOOTH!

I agree carnivore, we will see what someone has to say!

[Harry Pristis]

Canid upper carnassial (P4) . . . appears to be coyote or small wolf size.

 

[TNCollector]

Thanks @Harry Pristis! Do you think that this is Pleistocene or more recent? Is there any specific indicator that differentiates between coyote and wolf?

 

EDIT: Also after some searching, fox looks similar too.

[fifbrindacier]

Gorgeous tooth, indeed.

[Spinosaurus]

a nice find!

[Harry Pristis]

Canid upper carnassial (P4) . . . appears to be coyote or small wolf size.

 

canislatransP4_canids_text.txt

[old bones]

That is a beautiful tooth!

[Innocentx]

It's interesting how being in water, a creek or river, seems to darken bones and teeth over time, even when they are somewhat recently deposited.

[TNCollector]

43 minutes ago, old bones said:

That is a beautiful tooth!

Thanks!

10 minutes ago, Innocentx said:

It's interesting how being in water, a creek or river, seems to darken bones and teeth over time, even when they are somewhat recently deposited.

I am fairly confident that this tooth is a Pleistocene fossil. The formations exposed in this creek are well known for their mastodon and horse fossils, so it is not unlikely that this tooth is Pleistocene, but I have no idea how to distinguish between recent and Pleistocene fossils in this creek, precisely for the reasons you just stated.

[Vieira]

Amazing tooth

 

Congratulations

[PrehistoricFlorida]

This is a bobcat (Lynx rufus) upper carnassial (P4). You'll notice that the tooth has an extra anterior conid which differentiates it from Harry's coyote P4. Attached are images of a panther maxilla section with canine (C1) and two premolars (P3 & P4).