tyrannosaurus t REX

[xaar]

what do think about this ?

 

An EXTRA LARGE, Good Quality Tyrannosaurus rex tooth. This crown measures 2-5/8" and is thick (1-1/16"). The enamel has excellent color and patina. Excellent anterior and posterior serrations. Some root etchinng on crown. Tip is blunt - very typical with adult Rex teeth.

Several cracks were stabilized. Is this a fault/ disadvantage ??

[Seguidora-de-Isis]

No source information, it's tricky to try to help.

[Troodon]

39 minutes ago, Seguidora-de-Isis said:

No source information, it's tricky to try to help.

 

It's Hell Creek Fm, Montana

[JohnBrewer]

A fault/disadvantage is in the eye of the collector. A perfect example would cost a huge amount of money by comparison. With my collection I've gradually replaced the lower grade fossils (found or bought) with better examples. 

 

There are are a few people on the forum that can give you advice on such teeth. @Troodon is an active member who has a lot of knowledge, he will be able to help/advise you.

Edit: Well that didn't take long for Frank to pop up!

[Miocene_Mason]

A little glue never hurt anything, I don't see it as fault.

[Seguidora-de-Isis]

I always think a fossil is worth the same as much as the collector is willing to pay. In the case of this tooth, the coloring of fossilization really is compatible with that of Hell Creek, of the Montana Formation. In my opinion, the anterior and posterior serrations of this tooth are also compatible with the ones I would expect from a T-Rex tooth. The enamel is perfectly visible. Even though many cracks have been repaired, it appears to be very well stabilized.

 

 

[Troodon]

I took another look at this tooth xaar, on the sellers site, and what is missing is a good photo of the complete face of the tooth (lingual side) since it's a Premaxillary.  The photos provided are just from the sides but no straight in shots.  A closer picture of the tip wear would also help see the extent of wear/etchings if that's a concern.  Crack fill is acceptable but depends how much and how large a surface was done.  Hard to tell with these dark photos but looks like some on the face.  You may want to ask him to mark where the crack fills were done if you are concerned about it.   It's a nice tooth, good presentation, excellent enamel with great serrations except around the tip..

 

Missing a portion of the side may or may not concern you.

 

[Doctor Mud]

I don't see stabilization of the cracks as a problem. This is common practice to protect fossils and prevent breakage.

 

Obviously, a tooth might be considered "better" without such cracks, but would also sometimes be more expensive.

 

Depends on how you view fossils. Some consider them as an investment and would like to know if this is a fault that may de-value a tooth. A t-Rex tooth can be a huge outlay in $$$. With the right dealer all potential "flaws" are factored into the price.

When considering an expensive fossil like this I would do my homework and compare prices on teeth and learn what makes each tooth more or less expensive.

 

end of the day a fossil is worth what you want to pay for it though 

[xaar]

thanks all for your advice, the seller say A qualityT-Tex tooth from a mid-size 

 

I need to think because I want a single tooth rex t but a beautiful if it's possible
Maybe i would prefer a big t rex and not a middle, i have to think again

[Seguidora-de-Isis]

1 hour ago, xaar said:

thanks all for your advice, the seller say A qualityT-Tex tooth from a mid-size 

 

I need to think because I want a single tooth rex t but a beautiful if it's possible
Maybe i would prefer a big t rex and not a middle, i have to think again

 

I've seen a huge and in excellent conservation state (T-Rex's perfect tooth) sold for $ 50,000 dollars...

But it's all about waiting the right time and with the right seller, then a perfect tooth arrives and Along with it an even more frightening price than the tooth itself.

[The Speeding Carno]

I've found that large tyrannosaur teeth are sometimes severely overpriced, make sure to check the pricing against other websites selling similar materials

[hxmendoza]

Just my two cents, but I believe it fits better with it being a right dentary tooth position #2. The carinae aren't lingually facing as they would be in every premaxillary tooth. Instead, the carinae are offset strongly, as you would find in the most anterior teeth (excluding dentary tooth #1) of the dentary in Tyrannosaurus rex.

 

It's a nice tooth overall. Has very nice enamel, and the missing area isn't bad. Sometimes imperfections like that give character to a tooth and some collectors like being able to see the internal layers in the tooth. its just a matter of preference.

 

I refer you to this excellent paper on the heterodonty found in T. rex:

 

Heterodonty in Tyrannosaurus rex: Implications for the Taxonomic and Systematic Utility of Theropod Dentitions

Joshua B. Smith

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

Vol. 25, No. 4 (Dec. 30, 2005), pp. 865-887

 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4524513?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

[xaar]

On 20/07/2017 at 0:09 AM, Troodon said:

I took another look at this tooth xaar, on the sellers site, and what is missing is a good photo of the complete face of the tooth (lingual side) since it's a Premaxillary.  The photos provided are just from the sides but no straight in shots.  A closer picture of the tip wear would also help see the extent of wear/etchings if that's a concern.  Crack fill is acceptable but depends how much and how large a surface was done.  Hard to tell with these dark photos but looks like some on the face.  You may want to ask him to mark where the crack fills were done if you are concerned about it.   It's a nice tooth, good presentation, excellent enamel with great serrations except around the tip..

 

Missing a portion of the side may or may not concern you.

 

 

Hi Troodon

Here is a seller's response

OK, The teeth is a frontal jaw position tooth, but not a true premax. The serrations are offset 90 degrees. So, I can get a photo looking at the anterior and posterior serrations (attached). The surface area has some root etching. I also attached a photo of the rounded tip. T rex did not lose teeth as frequently as a shark. So, T  rex teeth would get worn and rounded prior to replacement. This seems to be particularly common for larger T rex teeth. I also tried to draw where the cracks exist in 2 additional photos. Cracks are a natural occurrence in the Hell Creek Fm. The teeth a little soft when first dug and natural stresses within the matrix often cause a hairline crack. So, putting some "penetrant" on the fossil after exposing it is the standard practice. These cracks will not open once the penetrant is applied. This is the standard digging practice, and these cracks can be difficult to see once stabilized.

 

new photos 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hxmendoza]

5 minutes ago, xaar said:

 

 

Everything the seller has stated is correct in my opinion. And I'm glad he supported my ID of it being an anterior tooth and not a premax. Its a very nice tooth!

[Seguidora-de-Isis]

I agree with the seller, the tooth seems to be very well stabilized. Often it is necessary to stabilize possible cracks, both in the field of excavations, as it can also be in the laboratory. Particularly I found this tooth beautiful, and I see no problem with it.