frankh8147 Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 Greetings! I found what I believe to be a tooth in a Cretaceous tributary of Big Brook in Monmouth County NJ and need help with identifification. It is slightly concave at the root and has a hollow section at the tip and one cutting edge, and has an oval cross section. This spot has yielded a good amount of both terrestrial and marine Cretaceous specimens. It doesn’t seem to match the usual suspects from this area so I would appreciate any help. Thanks! -Frank Additional pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 I think it's enchodus, here's a similar one I found online. “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 I don't think this is Enchodus, the curve to this tooth is somewhat different. I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 Than maybe xiphactinus? “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 We need good clear pictures of the tooth with the tooth being the focal point of the picture. Also pictures of all sides and the root end so we can see the shape of the root. From the pictures provided I can not say it is even a tooth for sure. 1 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share Posted June 5, 2017 2 hours ago, sixgill pete said: We need good clear pictures of the tooth with the tooth being the focal point of the picture. Also pictures of all sides and the root end so we can see the shape of the root. From the pictures provided I can not say it is even a tooth for sure. Thanks, Ill try to work on this tonight - I'm still not the best with taking pictures. Enchodus and xiphactinus are always contenders for unknown teeth but I compared it with roughly 100 other enchodus teeth and several xiphactinus I have found from that area and couldn't find any remotely similar. Ill see if I canfind a way to get clearer pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 Frank- what did you mean when you said it was hollow at the tip? If this is hollow it could be part of a crab claw. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share Posted June 5, 2017 Maybe hollow wasn't the best word - it is a slight indent the tip (you can kind of see it in some of the pictures). Actually Al Dente, it kind of resembles the indent on your needle- like tooth you posted for ID a few years ago..did you ever get an ID on that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 21 minutes ago, frankh8147 said: Maybe hollow wasn't the best word - it is a slight indent the tip (you can kind of see it in some of the pictures). Actually Al Dente, it kind of resembles the indent on your needle- like tooth you posted for ID a few years ago..did you ever get an ID on that? I never did but when you posted your fossil it reminded me of mine. I know another collector in NC that has found a few. My best guess is that they are fish teeth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted June 5, 2017 Share Posted June 5, 2017 It almost looks like the very tip of a dorsal fin spine judging by the pictures. If it has small bumps on it it could be hybodont. “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.” ― Mikhail Tal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share Posted June 5, 2017 1 hour ago, josephstrizhak said: It almost looks like the very tip of a dorsal fin spine judging by the pictures. If it has small bumps on it it could be hybodont. Hmmm.. No bumps on it but fish or shark spine is an interesting thought. I'll try to get some clearer pictures tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 6, 2017 Author Share Posted June 6, 2017 Here are the best pictures I could get of it; couldn't get a good one of the cross section but it is a thin oval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njfossilhunter Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 I'm just thinking that the Hoploparia Lobster hand one very long pincher claw ..It might be a H. Gabbi or another species that might be in the cretaceous coastal plains TonyThe Brooks Are Like A Box Of Chocolates,,,, You Never Know What You'll Find. I Told You I Don't Have Alzheimer's.....I Have Sometimers. Some Times I Remember And Some Times I Forget.... I Mostly Forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 6, 2017 Author Share Posted June 6, 2017 Certainly a possibility Tony. Only thing that gets me is the enamal which looks more 'toothy' than crustacean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 The surface texture of your specimen with your latest pictures does not give me a toothy look, not smooth enough. The shape is also odd for a fish tooth, the lack cutting edges does not help. Don't have answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Looks pterosaur ish to me. Is the enamel very thin? Got a shot from the root end? @Troodon 1 John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike from North Queensland Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 I would suspect the fish or shark spine or is the way to look based on the last photos. The diagonal lines that are seen on one side are they scratch marks or flaw lines ? Mike D'Arcy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 6, 2017 Author Share Posted June 6, 2017 7 minutes ago, Mike from North Queensland said: I would suspect the fish or shark spine or is the way to look based on the last photos. The diagonal lines that are seen on one side are they scratch marks or flaw lines ? Mike D'Arcy Mike, Those are scratch marks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 1 hour ago, JohnBrewer said: Looks pterosaur ish to me. Is the enamel very thin? Got a shot from the root end? @Troodon Won't rule it out and a possibility but still don't see a toothy surface. More like what others has said spine or claw. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted June 6, 2017 Author Share Posted June 6, 2017 Here is my best effort to get the 'root'; the black part has more shine than is shown in the picture. -Frank And another picture under different lighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 crabs sometimes have different claws. A crusher and a picker. I think this might be a picker claw bit and judging from the scale (a US dime) it may be from a callionassid or mud shrimp claw. Didn't research if callionassids have heteromorphic claws though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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