Bronzviking Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Good Evening, I saw an image in my fossil book of an enamel cusp from a mastodon tooth that looked similar to my chunk. I found it in SW Florida and its a about 1 1/8" x 3/4". It's caramel and black in color with a few red spots and highly polished. It has yellowish fragments of something in the bottom of the indentation. Could this be tooth fragments? All replies are much appreciated. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peat Burns Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Sure looks like proboscidian enamel, likely mastodont (other possibility is Gomphothere). A clear close-up of a cross-section of the enamel (where it broke) would be helpful. You should be able to see fine "lines" like this: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatinformationist Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 That is a very gemmy chunk of enamel. Many large mammals of that time had thick enamel so enjoy it whatever the etiology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted August 22, 2018 Author Share Posted August 22, 2018 That's really exciting to hear! When I look through the loop it appears to have those striations around the edges. Here's another angle. Let me know if this helps. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddingPaleo Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Nice find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted August 22, 2018 Author Share Posted August 22, 2018 Can I get more feedback on this tooth? Thanks! @Shellseeker @Harry Pristis @PrehistoricFlorida @Peat Burns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Let me first congratulate you -- you are progressing much faster than I was able to when I started... and I love this fossil It does remind me of mastodont or tapir enamel, looks to be a pathological enamel cap and I am thinking that it is complete, just thinking about the underside... Here is an unusual possibility, but NOT if you found it in SW Florida.. Menoceras comes from North Florida. https://www.paleodirect.com/lmx034-rare-menoceras-early-rhinoceros-perfect-upper-front-tusk-with-complete-unbroken-root/ Good collection of experts. I would ask Richard Hulbert for an Identification also. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/amateur-collector/fossil-id 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...
Bronzviking Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 Thank you so much Jack for the kudos, info and the links! I knew I found something unusual but I didn't know what I had until I started reading all the fossil books. So it sat in a pill bottle for 8 years, Lol. Can you tell me what I'm seeing in the circle? Is it the tooth or root? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Hmmm. I enlarged your photo... I have not previously found a fossil that has the texture of that lighter area... it might be some sort of marrow... I saw something like it in walrus tusk... but that is an impossible reach. I am hoping that other TFF experts provide input. The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 Jack, It looks like yellowed ivory but the bottom edge looks like bone. Back to Hmmm, hopefully we get more input from the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 It's a shard of mastodon enamel. 1 www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronzviking Posted September 27, 2018 Author Share Posted September 27, 2018 On 9/17/2018 at 8:40 PM, PrehistoricFlorida said: It's a shard of mastodon enamel. Thanks for confirming! I did have a fossil expert look at it at the Artifact & Fossil Show recently and he confirmed it was Mastodon Tooth Enamel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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