R0b Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 (edited) This tooth was a surface find from Carniol. It was found by my partner and she just put it in her box without telling me recognising for what it was. Nice surprise when sorting / cleaning. On another forum a similar tooth from the same location was identified as Protosphyraena. Cretaseous, Aptian, Gargasian. There are no serrations visible under 10x magnification. At the base the toot is about 5.8mm wide and 4.1mm thick. Edited October 23, 2021 by R0b Adding information measurement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 Cannot help but here is how the Oceans of Kansas describes Protosphyraena teeth. Flat yours looks oval. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R0b Posted October 23, 2021 Author Share Posted October 23, 2021 (edited) @Troodon measured at the base it is about 5.8mm wide and 4.1 mm thick. Indeed the examples I could find for Protosphyraena are closer to a 2:1 ratio. Edited October 23, 2021 by R0b Spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 I'm no good with fish, but may be @Anomotodon will be able to help you further. I believe he has some experience with Early Cretaceous fish teeth... 'There's nothing like millions of years of really frustrating trial and error to give a species moral fibre and, in some cases, backbone' -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomotodon Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 I agree, it does seem like Protosphyraena or a related Pachycormid with similar teeth - there were other species in Early Cretaceous that are less well-known. Pachycormid teeth are usually more flattened, but many, like Protosphyraena were mildly heterodontous - see skull below - so more anterior teeth could be more rounded. There were also large Ichthyodectids at that time (like Xiphactinus) with similar teeth, so that is also a possibility. 1 The Tooth Fairy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R0b Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 @Anomotodon Thanks, I came across Xiphactinus but I read these were more late Cretaceous. But looking at your post a precise identification will be difficult. How would you label it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomotodon Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 9 hours ago, R0b said: @Anomotodon Thanks, I came across Xiphactinus but I read these were more late Cretaceous. But looking at your post a precise identification will be difficult. How would you label it? I would carefully say ?Pachycormidae indet. I noticed that on some Ichthyodectids carinae (cutting edges) are usually less pronounced and don't always reach the base, unlike your tooth and Protosphyraena/Australopachycormus, but I am unaware of any literature to back up this claim hence the question mark. 1 The Tooth Fairy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R0b Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Anomotodon said: I would carefully say ?Pachycormidae indet. I noticed that on some Ichthyodectids carinae (cutting edges) are usually less pronounced and don't always reach the base, unlike your tooth and Protosphyraena/Australopachycormus, but I am unaware of any literature to back up this claim hence the question mark. Thanks again, I will follow your suggestion remembering this discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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