Camel, Horse, Llama tooth????

[LowcountryGals]

Hello. My girls and I found this tooth along the banks of the Cooper River in Charleston, SC, USA, while fossil hunting. I've seen pics of horse teeth, but this appears to be more flat than the squarer horse teeth I've seen. I found a few shots of llama or camel teeth  online. You can see a bit of serration on the top of pic 3 which makes me think it definitely is a tooth, but a camel in SC? 

Edited January 15, 2017 by LowcountryGals

[Ramon]

Well, camels existed in all of north america during the pleistocene or about 2 million-10,000 years. But got extinct at the beginning of the Holocene.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Can't see the occlusal surface clearly, but I'm going with horse posterior lower.

[Harry Pristis]

It appears to be a lower equus third molar from which all cementum has been eroded.  A horse posterior lower, as Dan says.

 

 

[LowcountryGals]

Thanks for taking a look! The idea of Camels roaming old South Carolina is quite intriguing! Was hoping that's what it was   But an ancient horse is still pretty cool!

[LowcountryGals]

For all the newbies like me, here is a brief glossary from which to translate the pros answers above  Thanks so much for taking the time to help us learn what we've found guys! It makes the hunt so much more fun!

 

Hol·o·cene

ˈhäləsēn,ˈhōləˌsēn/

adjective

GEOLOGY

1. relating to or denoting the present epoch, which is the second epoch in the Quaternary period and followed the Pleistocene.

 

occlusal surface of tooth. Definition: the surface of a tooth that occludes with or contacts an opposing surface of a tooth in the opposing jaw; Synonym(s): denture occlusal surface.

 

The cementum is the surface layer of the tooth root. Rather than being a passive entity like paint on a wall, cementum is a dynamic entity within the periodontium. It is attached to the alveolar bone by the fibers of the periodontal ligament and to the soft tissue of the gingiva by the gingival fibers * see note from Harry Pristis below

 

Equus is a genus of mammals in the family Equidae, which includes horses, , and zebras. .... grazing; they have large incisors that clip grass blades and highly crowned, ridged molars well suited for grinding.

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by LowcountryGals

[Harry Pristis]

Just an amplification here, 'Gals:  The definition of cementum you've taken from the I'net is true enough for most mammals, including human beings.  However, some groups of animals (taxa) like horses and bovids have cementum that enshrouds each molar.  Even mammoths have this wrapping of cementum.  This cementum is not as dense as the other tooth components (enamel and dentin) and is often lost from fossils.

 

You can see the cementum on this newly erupting equus tooth: