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b. bartron

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It still looks canid, though not  Cynarctus wangi.  Why don't you just send your occlusal image and the crown dimensions to Xiaoming Wang and ask him to identify it.  He's accessible, if he's in the country.  He might still be at xwang@nhm.org or get his address from one of his recent pubs.

http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page

 

What seest thou else

In the dark backward and abysm of time?

---Shakespeare, The Tempest

 

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5 hours ago, siteseer said:

 

 

I understand your dilemma.  You're not against donating something weird because you've done it before.  You'd like to keep it but you don't know what it is so maybe you should donate it for that reason.  It's not really a good display piece but you haven't found anything like it before and are unlikely to again.  I get it.

 

It's not the scientists' fault that science demands ownership either.  There are numerous instances from the old days when scientists officially described type specimens and then let the amateur keep it, but when a scientist tried to find the owner later so he could examine it as part of another study, the owner had died or moved or the specimen was sold or lost in a move.  And 3D imaging won't solve everything either.  You can't do an isotope analysis on the "enamel" of a replica.  You can't do a chemical analysis (or any other test) of any of the adhering matrix either.  You just have the size and shape of it.

 

To me if you don't know what it is and are unlikely to study the range of mustelids and/or dogs known from the time frame (approx. 11-14 million years ago), you should donate it and leave it to the mammal people.  It's probably something new or at least significantly extends the range of something known in time and or paleogeography.  Land mammals are poorly known from the Miocene of the east coast north of Florida and mustelids (if that's what it is) are poorly known from the Miocene of that coast period.

 

If you're going to keep it, make a good label for it (clearly print exactly where you found it and why you say it's from the Choptank) and put it in your will where that tooth should go.  Something like that doesn't have much of a monetary value, though it is weird if it is a dog or mustelid, so it has real scientific value.  If you don't have a will and don't get around to writing one, the tooth will almost certainly be lost forever.

Thanks for your insight valid points. I'll keep this in mind as i consider to donate it and where i donate it if i do.

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7 hours ago, WhodamanHD said:

Indeed I can, see below. (From here)

 

I was suggesting it as it is the first thing that pops into my head when someone says “canid” at Calvert. 

EDEDB584-13A9-4C5B-8A3C-FB493902DFC0.jpeg

Thanks! 

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11 hours ago, b. bartron said:

But do i really just want to donate it for the purposes of study? Ive donated a fair amount of stuff. And I'll admit i kinda regreat the rare thing i have already let go of.

 

It isn't easy giving up something rare.  When I was younger, I really didn't want to either.  But if you do have the opportunity to get a specimen scientifically described that is something that most collectors never have happen.

 

It is extremely important how you donate your specimen.  If you just donate it to a museum that you like, it may never get described or even really looked at.  It could wind up in some basement drawer.  I learned the hard way, it is always best to find a researcher interested in the specimen first.  Then you are sure it will be looked at.  Let an interested researcher evaluate the specimen.  If it is of scientific value, the researcher will most likely want to describe it in a paper somewhere.  Then let the researcher decide on the museum, with your input, where the specimen will be curated.  Although tough to give up, a specimen which is described and curated in a museum is a much better ending than a specimen in your possession that will have a very uncertain future.

 

Marco Sr.

  • I found this Informative 5

"Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day."

My family fossil website     Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros     My Extant Shark Jaw Collection

image.png.9a941d70fb26446297dbc9dae7bae7ed.png image.png.41c8380882dac648c6131b5bc1377249.png

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