Miatria Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 I thought this would be an easy ID, but everyone is stumped. I found this in Florida's Peace River in a mix of pleistocene and miocene material. It is approximately 3 1/4" long by 3/4" wide by .5" wide. I've looked at photos of giant beaver teeth and this item is quite straight, very little curve to it. It was also suggested possible juvenile proboscidean tusk but I have zero experience with those. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 1 Zookeeperfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 We'll see what the experts have to say. Tusk seems a good guess but all I can say is it would be a trip-maker (probably a season-maker) for me if it had turned up in my sifting screen. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrodB Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 I can't help on ID but it's a cool find. Congrats 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 I'm thinking possible sloth tooth although if it is a tusk that would be a great find as well. Either way congrats 2 Every once in a great while it's not just a big rock down there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Just now, jcbshark said: I'm thinking possible sloth tooth That's my gut feeling as well. I couldn't say which kind, but it's got the right cross-section. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Great find! I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 My gut tells me it's too long to be a sloth tooth. But I have no good alternative. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xiphactinus Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Giant beaver incisor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 I think it may be a mandibular tusk from a proboscidean. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 2 minutes ago, Harry Pristis said: I think it may be a mandibular tusk from a proboscidean. Harry, I having been texting with Miatria, asking about Schreger lines. If this is Ivory, that cut end should show Schreger lines -- Is that correct? The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 1 minute ago, Shellseeker said: Harry, I having been texting with Miatria, asking about Schreger lines. If this is Ivory, that cut end should show Schreger lines -- Is that correct? Yes, I would be looking for that pattern in the dentin. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 I dunno...it COULD be a mylodontid sloth tooth. It IS pretty long though! I have never seen a proboscidean tusk with that kind of cross-section before. Did this come from terrestrial sediments? -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatria Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 It doesn't seem to have the crosshatch lines associated with tusk material but hard to tell because it is small. It doesn't have any curve to it and the beaver teeth I looked at do. It came from the Peace River, mixed Pleistocene and Miocene. Zookeeperfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Not being particularly familiar with the Peace River, I don't recall whether most of the exposed sediments are strictly terrestrial, strictly marine, or a mixture of both. Knowing that would serve to eliminate or introduce a few possibilities. -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatria Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 58 minutes ago, Fruitbat said: Not being particularly familiar with the Peace River, I don't recall whether most of the exposed sediments are strictly terrestrial, strictly marine, or a mixture of both Yes, mixture of both. Zookeeperfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Okay...I find myself wondering if that could be a fragment of aquatic mammal incisor (tusk). -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 1 hour ago, Fruitbat said: Okay...I find myself wondering if that could be a fragment of aquatic mammal incisor (tusk). -Joe I agree that we should eliminate possibilities. The thing doesn't look like walrus, a rare fossil in Florida. What aquatic mammal did you have in mind, Joe? 2 hours ago, Miatria said: It doesn't seem to have the crosshatch lines associated with tusk material but hard to tell because it is small. It doesn't have any curve to it and the beaver teeth I looked at do. It came from the Peace River, mixed Pleistocene and Miocene. Do you have a microscope or a hand lens, Miatria? http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Well...I know that dugongs have chisel-like upper incisors. Just a guess, mind you. -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatria Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 Zookeeperfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 8 minutes ago, Harry Pristis said: I agree that we should eliminate possibilities. The thing doesn't look like walrus, a rare fossil in Florida. What aquatic mammal did you have in mind, Joe? Do you have a microscope or a hand lens, Miatria? Harry, Some blow_ups of the ends of the tooth. This would seem to confirm enamel rather than tusk The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatria Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 Photos of both ends. The solid end is slightly smaller and rounder than the hollow end. Zookeeperfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Sorry I overlapped Miatria -- she has better photos with more details .. I may delete mine. On any of these photos, I can see nothing that resemble Schreger lines. so that would seem to eliminate Ivory. Bobby would have identified whale, so not that... What keeps us from saying that this is a sloth tooth? broken at both ends. Sloth makes a lot of sense for the Peace River/ 1 The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 I'm still leaning toward ground sloth too. It's just so darned LONG! -Joe 1 Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Interesting find. Perhaps more eyes could be on this for identification ideas if it were moved to the Fossil ID page? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miatria Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 Oh! I'm not used to the new format on my phone. I thought that's where I was, lol. Should I repost under that? Zookeeperfossils.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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