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ThePhysicist

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Found this tooth at a local rock store. It's about 2.7 cm long. I have no locality information, but I think its preservation suggests its from Lee Creek. It has worn secondary cusps, indicated by arrows. Any information would be much appreciated.

 

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“The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.” - A. Einstein

 

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Agree that it looks to be from Lee Creek,  See this info from Volume IV Part 2 of the North Carolina Fossil Club series of books dedicated to Fossils of North Carolina.  In summary ... many small whale teeth arising from the Pungo River sediments of the mine, not well studied.

whale teeth NCFC Vol IV.jpg

whale tooth pics.jpg

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Many of those double rooted multicuspate molars are likely from late surviving waipatiid dolphins more typically known from the Oligocene. I know the identity of others but shouldn't blab about future research revelations... other than perhaps that the single rooted teeth on the lower left in the NCFC book are the same taxon as "Phoca debilis" from the Oligocene of SC.

 

As for OP's tooth - this looks to me like a specimen of the poorly understood odontocete Tretosphys gabbii:

 

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