Fossiljones Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Hi All, I'm presenting another mammal tooth I found diving the Cooper River in South Carolina. You'll notice only a small percentage of the tooth is covered with beautiful brown enamel (or is it cementum?). When I found the tooth, it had complete 100% coverage. I had no idea it was so fragile. I dropped it into my goody bag, and unfortunetly (?) I was having a good dive and had picked up quite a few other fossils including some big megs. By the time I surfaced and emptied my bag, most of that beautiful brown enamel (?) was nothing but a big pile of flakes in the bottom of the bag. It's a real bummer. It was in very pristine condition when I picked it up. It must of been a very recent erosion, because otherwise the river would've stripped the tooth itself. Anyway, I'm not sure what it is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyc Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 That is a very nice sloth tooth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossiljones Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 Hey garyc, If it's Sloth, then I'm very happily surprised! Now I really wish I would've been more careful with it... It should've never gone into the bag unprotected from the other fossils. Always learning.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 The brown flaky stuff is cementum. Sloth teeth won't have enamel. Very nice tooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 No enamel, no cementum either. Sloth teeth do have an exterior layer of harder dentin, and that may be what has flaked. 2 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...
Al Dente Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 3 hours ago, Harry Pristis said: No enamel, no cementum either. Sloth teeth do have an exterior layer of harder dentin, and that may be what has flaked. Sloths do have an outer layer of cementum. I've attached a snip from "Paleobiology of Pleistocene ground sloths (Xenarthra, Tardigrada): biomechanics, morphogeometry and ecomorphology applied to the masticatory apparatus". 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Gorgeous Tooth. I love sloth!!! There are a couple of other question you might (and I always do) ask!!! There are only a couple of sloth types hat you might find in the Cooper river. The common ones are in the Megalonyx family (Megalonyx Jefersonii -- Jefferson's ground sloth) or maybe in the Mylodont family (Paramylodon Harlani - Harlan's ground sloth). Both are possibilities and Caniniform or Molariform are designations plus you could discuss upper jaw or lower jaw and which side. My initial guess is a Caniniform from a Megalonyx Jeffersonii, but I am likely to be corrected. If I can match a photo, I will do so. @Harry Pristis @PrehistoricFlorida EDIT Quickly back -- Here is a candidate DIFFERENT from the one I suggested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinobadistes. 2nd tooth from left. Jack 2 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 July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 I stand corrected. 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...
Fossiljones Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Wow, a lot of great information guys! Thank you very much! I'm going to look closely at my collection now and see if I possibly have any other Sloth material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Very nice find! About the 'flaking' problem, with bits of it falling off, I had a very similar problem with one of my fossils. This fossil here, which remains one of my best personal finds, and one of my favorite fossils, is a nice woolly rhino lower molar. I found it on the Zandmotor (Netherlands), and it's from the Pleistocene. Anyways, I put it in a tub for a few hours in order to desalinate it (salt is quite dangerous for fossil bones, it can split the bones). Here is what I saw after leaving the fossil in the tub for only 20 hours, and it had already started to release crumbs before. But after some time, the erosion stopped, and now it looks just fine: I have good hopes that your fossil will still keep most of its beauty, so no need to worry. Best regards, Max Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossiljones Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 Thanks Max-fossils. I always de-salinate anything and everything I recover from brackish or salt water. I found this tooth in April, and I'm just now gonna let it dry. I'll for sure consolidate it, once it's well dried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbshark Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Excellent sloth tooth,congrats 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...
Max-fossils Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 15 hours ago, Fossiljones said: Thanks Max-fossils. I always de-salinate anything and everything I recover from brackish or salt water. I found this tooth in April, and I'm just now gonna let it dry. I'll for sure consolidate it, once it's well dried. Good to know Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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