Is this a Tooth or am I imagining it?

[Osiris09]

Hi everyone, 
I've just signed up to the forum and hopefully will learn heaps from being here. I have only just got back into fossil hunting after many many years. Yesterday i went for a hunt in North Canterbury (NZ) during what seemed like an extremely low tide and came back with a few pieces that were interesting to me, mainly as i don't really have a collection.

 

Anyway while i was down walking the low tide line i was looking at a concretion which appeared to be empty sp i placed it back down and as i stood up i noticed a black thing in another rock. The colours were quite a contrast to each other especially as they were wet at the time. I think this is what i noticed the most but after picking the rock up and examining a little closer the black thing appeared to be a large-ish tooth sitting in a recess. On closer inspection tonight it almost looks like there is another further back still in the rock. Am i imagining this and just being a newbie or is it something interesting like a tooth?

 

The visible part of the "tooth" is about 33mm long and although it could be wear, one side appears flatter than the other. The only other option i can think of is that this is another rock layered within the parent material. the next layer or "tooth" appears to be slightly sitting on the rear edge of this one with a slight overlap like they are partially sitting on each other. The tip of the main feature also looks to have been broken off.

 

Ive tried to take some photos, but i think under artificial light the shape doesn't show as well as i had hoped. If anyone thinks its worth pursuing i can get a few in the sun.    

 

This is the parent material with what appears to be a tooth in the upper center

 

A closer view of possible "tooth"

 

An idea of the size

 

A sort of top down view and in the background behind the main feature you can see another layer of the same material just showing through.

 

Any comments are appreciated as i really am a complete newbie and have to learn somewhere.

 

Cheers

Jeff

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria (the Austria on the other side of the planet ).

 

Interesting find, but, sorry, I don´t know what it is. Do you know what the host rock of the supposed tooth could be? The whole rocks seems to be heavily overgrown by small barnacles and the like. Are you able to expose a small spot of the host rock or break off a small part of it?
 

Franz Bernhard

[Fossildude19]

Not seeing any enamel, which I would expect to see on a fossil tooth.  

Looks more like an internal mold of a bivalve to me.    

 

@Mike from North Queensland  @mamlambo  @Doctor Mud  @Dave (POM) Allen  @Boesse

[Osiris09]

Hi Franz. Thanks for your comment. 
 

I should have mentioned in the original post that the area is Mid to late Miocene in age and is part of the Mt Brown formation. 
 

Common to find crabs but also whale, dolphin, etc. I know shark teeth have been found along this beach although a bit more uncommon I believe. 
 

 

[Osiris09]

13 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Not seeing any enamel, which I would expect to see on a fossil tooth.  

Looks more like an internal mold of a bivalve to me.    

 

@Mike from North Queensland  @mamlambo  @Doctor Mud  @Dave (POM) Allen  @Boesse

Hi fossildude,

 

It wouldn't surprise me. My first thought when I saw it wasn't tooth but how did a mussel shell get wedged in there. I'm not worried either way. The best way of learning is picking it up and asking the question especially as I don't know anyone else personally who likes looking at old rocks.

[FranzBernhard]

19 hours ago, Osiris09 said:

Common to find crabs but also whale, dolphin, etc. I know shark teeth have been found along this beach

So your specimen is a part of one of those famous concretions?

Franz Bernhard

[Tetradium]

On 5/26/2021 at 6:50 AM, Osiris09 said:

Hi fossildude,

 

It wouldn't surprise me. My first thought when I saw it wasn't tooth but how did a mussel shell get wedged in there. I'm not worried either way. The best way of learning is picking it up and asking the question especially as I don't know anyone else personally who likes looking at old rocks.

Remember fossildude said its a internal mold. it means the outside rotted away, leaving a cavity. 

[Osiris09]

14 hours ago, FranzBernhard said:

So your specimen is a part of one of those famous concretions?

Franz Bernhard

Yes I suppose so. This one felt a lot heavier for its size but maybe that's just my brain :-). I came back with i'm guessing a piece of wood, a couple bones, and i'm hoping a couple of concretions that could be holding a crab. But i need to learn a bit more about prepping first before i go messing anything up.