shenningsgard Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 (edited) Greetings! My lady friend and I are beginner rock collectors, and occasionally find something that seems fossil-like to our untrained eyes. This is one we felt seemed like a tooth; are we even in the ballpark? We found it in a gravel parking lot in central Minnesota. It isn't magnetically reactive, but that's about all we know! Edited April 21, 2019 by shenningsgard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrian Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Its a rock. 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- John I had a friend once, but the wheels fell off. Sad, very sad. - Nightwing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenningsgard Posted April 21, 2019 Author Share Posted April 21, 2019 (edited) 1 minute ago, JohnBrian said: Its a rock. Sweet - thanks! Any tips on how you could tell so quickly, so I don't waste anyone's time next time? Edited April 21, 2019 by shenningsgard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Welcome to the Forum. Never think you are wasting anyone's time here; we all started somewhere, and we love to see what people find. Shark teeth would likely have an enamel surface texture, which this one unfortunately doesn't. Although it has the tantalizing shape of a very worn tooth, that is about as much of a similarity as one can get with this piece. That being said, perhaps you could say where in Minnesota this was found? We do have some great Minnesota members here who know the geology of the state quite intimately and might be able to tell you more about what you can expect to find. 6 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelius Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 The best way to learn is to follow this forum - you'll quickly begin to get an idea about things like this. As Kane says, teeth tend to have at least a hint of an enamelled surface. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peace river rat Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 No enamel, no vestige of a root, no hint of an occlusal surface. All points towards suggestively shaped rock. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kmiecik Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Hi, and welcome to the forum. Gravel parking lots often have many fossils. Not often anything worth collecting, but enough to give you a good idea of what is and what isn't. Keep trying. Helping you identify what you've found is what we enjoy and half the reason we're here. 1 Mark. Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenningsgard Posted April 21, 2019 Author Share Posted April 21, 2019 Thanks all for the informative responses! I've been involved in other forums in which I was decidedly not the local n00b, so I get the terse replies (JohnBrian) when someone who clearly hasn't done his/her homework comes in and wastes people's time. That said, the other replies were helpful and made me excited to research more on my own, so thank you! I'll be sure to report my findings once I'm better informed (and can make totally new novice mistakes :p) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelius Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 Every single one of us has made many, many mistakes when new to it, I wouldn't worry about it. Seven years in, and I'm still making 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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