Non-tooth from the Ernst Quarries.

[MrR 219]

I went on my first real dig yesterday at the Ernst Quarries of Bakersfield.  I won't say it was easy, but it was pretty rewarding. Aside from a bunch of very small shark's teeth, I found a fossilized piece of a stingray barb grinding-plate, and this particular piece. At first I thought it was a tooth from some ancient fish that had teeth that looked like tusks. After looking at it for a second more, I realized that it was something else. Crinoid came to mind.

 

Being a newbie, I just wanted to get verification of this pieces "crinoidness", or lack thereof. Is it a crinoid fossil, and is it common in places like Bakersfield oil country? Many thanks, learned fossil-folks, et. al. Cheers.

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by MrR
Corrected stingray piece. See strikethrough for original.

[abyssunder 5,574]

End view is a bit blurry. Can you take a clearer photo?

[MrR 219]

I never get great macro results with this camera, but here's another, perhaps a bit better. Thanks.

 

[abyssunder 5,574]

It's much better. Thank you for the photo.
I'm not sure of what it is, but there are some possibilities, like a cetacean tooth root or an infilled tubeworm. Wait other opinions.

[MrR 219]

Thanks, abyssunder. In another thread where I posted the group of teeth, etc., caldigger said it was a cetacean tooth, minus the tip. He provided a comparison image that looked right. That post is in response to a thread started by Kurt K. about Ernst Quarries in the section "Fossil Hunting Trips".  Thanks again.

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/89028-ernst-quarries-question/

 

[abyssunder 5,574]

Thank you for the link. At least one of my thoughts might be right.

The light color of the specimen made me to consider that it could be a tubeworm.

[isurus90064 335]

Aulophyseter morricei

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/gallery/image/13881-08-aulophyseter-morricei/

 

[ynot 7,240]

Agree with whale tooth.

[MrR 219]

So my "non-tooth" is really a tooth. That will teach me for taking such a strong, and ignorant, stand with my subject title. Thanks to all for your learned input and comments. I wasn't expecting a whale tooth. Perhaps not as exciting to look at as the shiny sharks' teeth, but quite interesting, to be sure.

 

It would seem that shark-tooth enamel was better than whale enamel. Is that true, and why? Thanks ahead of time.