frankh8147 Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I found this tiny, stream worn tooth a few months ago and was looking for opinions/information on it. I showed it to local paleontologists and was told it may be a theropod tooth but it's tough to be certain on a worn, isolated tooth. The tooth has faint serrations on both sides but they are much larger and are more visible on the distal side. The root section looks broken up but hopefully my pictures will give you an idea. It's tough to get good pictures of it due to it's size but here's my best effort. As always, all help is greatly appreciated! -Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 That's a nice find Frank. Sorry I can't help with an ID. 1 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runner64 Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Doesn’t look like croc because it’s not circular enough in cross-section and is too curved. Also doesn’t look mosasaur because the cross-section appears ovular, not circular compared to the Mosasaur teeth I’ve seen. I think Theropod is reasonable but I have seen some odd Mosasaur teeth that are pretty compressed and have some serrations. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Take this with a grain of salt please; but I am getting a mosasaur vibe from this. I have a very similar tooth frag from a Cretaceous location here in N.C. that is well known for dino material that has been I.D.'d as mosasaur. 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...
Fossildude19 Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I think that it is mosasaur, but possibly a pterygoid tooth. Nice find, Frank. 2 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Just now, Fossildude19 said: I think that it is mosasaur, but possibly a pterygoid tooth. Nice find, Frank. I am liking this assessment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramon Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Most likely theropod tooth, as mosasaur teeth with serrations are almost unheard of. 1 "Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JarrodB Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Mosasaur 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramon Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 It looks quite similar to dromeosaur teeth from Montana. It resembles a mosasaur pterygoid tooth, because the tooth is erroded to the point where only 1/3 is left. 2 "Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted November 20, 2018 Author Share Posted November 20, 2018 Thank you for the replies. I had a feeling it would come down to Theropod and Mosasaur. For comparison sake, here is a picture of it (yellow arrow) compared to Mosasaur teeth I have found. If it is Mosasaur, it would be by far my smallest and thinnest. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 1 hour ago, Ramon said: Most likely theropod tooth, as mosasaur teeth with serrations are almost unheard of. Where do you see serrations ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramon Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 6 minutes ago, Rockwood said: Where do you see serrations ? The pictures don’t show them quite well, but they are present on at least one of the edges of the tooth. 1 "Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I think there may be too many rows to call serrations on the top one, perhaps not. The other looks like the broken edge of the enamel to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramon Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 They do look like serrations to me, but the tooth is too eroded to assign it to anything beyond Theropoda. I wouldn’t even assign it to a dromaeosaur. 1 "Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Cool tooth, Frank! For what its worth, I agree with Theropod tooth. You have a swell tooth collection. 2 "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runner64 Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Do you have more Theropod teeth from this location? Might be helpful for comparison 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non-remanié Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Frank, I think this might be just the tip of a larger mosasaur tooth. I think its a lot like your specimen from a few years ago that many thought was Globidens but was also just the tip of a larger common mosasaur tooth. ---Wie Wasser schleift den Stein, wir steigen und fallen--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Jersey Devil Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 It is a mostly complete small Mosasaur tooth. Theropod teeth would be less elliptical and more flattened in cross-section. Mosasaur teeth can get even smaller than this one. “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...
Ramon Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 I disagree, I think it is only the tip (1/3) of the tooth of a theropod. Something like this... "Without fossils, no one would have ever dreamed that there were successive epochs in the formation of the earth" - Georges Cuvier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 There appears to be a second ridge forming a facet on the tooth that shouldn't be there. Am I just seeing it wrong ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Just a thought. The edge looks as if it is accelerating toward the base. So the slicing function probably ends quite close to the base of the image. It would not be possible to cut such a curve in half and extrapolate it to a larger shape. It is not self similar or repeatable. However, it is quite difficult to tell if the edge is actually accelerating or if it is an optical illusion. 8 hours ago, Ramon said: I disagree, I think it is only the tip (1/3) of the tooth of a theropod. 18 hours ago, frankh8147 said: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Jumping back in here, I still lean more strongly towards mosasaur on this one. The serrations don't actually look all that weathered and appear to be slightly irregular - something I wouldn't expect from a theropod. The curve and thickness are not out of the question for a theropod, but they sure are consistent with a mosasaur pterygoid tooth. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 18 hours ago, Ramon said: The pictures don’t show them quite well, but they are present on at least one of the edges of the tooth. ... This photo reminded me of this pic... ...(from Can You Identify Tyrannosaur Teeth From North America?) and the very worn, seeming a bit irregular, serrations. I still like Theropod, but heck, my mind has the ability to believe that anything is true. Frank, can you get some better (magnified) images of the edges? 2 "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFOOLEY Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Now this... ...is "a wonderfully preserved Mosasaur pterygoid tooth" from @CreekCrawler's post Mosasaur Pterygoid " Shed Tooth". 2 "I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?" ~Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankh8147 Posted November 21, 2018 Author Share Posted November 21, 2018 Thanks for the replies! I'll try to get some better pictures but I'm having difficulty getting good ones.. @Carl This is actually a different tooth than the prior potential theropod you helped me out with (found in the same general area) but appearance is pretty similar. It was also pointed out by me to another New Jersey collector that another Mosasaur tooth I recently found (lacking serrations) looked similar in shape too.. @non-remanié Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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