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Post Oak Creek Cretaceous Texas - Variety of Teeth ID


JamieLynn

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Well....I am really trying my best to figure out this Cretaceous Fish Tooth thing vs Reptile Tooth but I keep getting stumped, So here is another tooth that I am not sure if it's fish or maybe reptile? Plus a couple of shark teeth that I would like confirmation on my ID. PLUS a really cool little sawfish tooth that just seems....different...than the usual Ptychotrygon. Any thoughts are appreciated!  Eagle Ford Formation

 

 

1.  Size 1/4 inch  6 mm   

It does seem to have a carina ridge but it also has one side slightly sheared off. 

POC(6).thumb.jpg.ac51fa7244db1af07e8d95a8c74b1735.jpg

 

2.jpg.1970d982274946c75fb393a1c7281c7d.jpg

 

2.  I have tentatively ID'd the top tooth as Cretodus semplicatus due to the striations on the blade. 

The second tooth looks so similar, but no striations so is it Cretolamna appendiculata? 

Size 1/8  3mm

3.jpg.1ce415e03efac2954cdc99846640efc0.jpg

 

 3. Is this a pathological Scapanorhynchus?

SharkScapanorhynchusPOC(1).thumb.jpg.ada7b33e54d94892ab6aa57805f48c43.jpg

 

 

4. This tiny little sawfish tooth is one of the most beautiful things I've ever found. The little decor on it is amazing. Is it a Ptychogrygon triangularis which are so common in Post Oak Creek? 

4.jpg.3de4b48fc5f66a753726d2acdd42b08b.jpg

 

 

 Plus I just want to show off this amazing piece - I think it's a Gastropod Baniformis that has been entirely replace by crystals! 

 

KTXGAS336GastropodBanissaniformisPOC(1).thumb.jpg.5db859b2390c2cd05b284bf707339474.jpg

 

KTXGAS336GastropodBanissaniformisPOC(3).thumb.jpg.17bab707063bb5675edb8fa2e2a1c721.jpg

 

 

 

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43 minutes ago, JamieLynn said:

Plus I just want to show off this amazing piece - I think it's a Gastropod Baniformis that has been entirely replace by crystals! 

It might be from a modern caddis fly.

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The "gastropod" is from the snail making caddisfly Helicopsyche.

 

I agree on Pytychotrygon triangularis for 4.

 

3. Is Scapanorhynchus but I don't see any evidence of pathology, are you talking about the asymmetry of the blade?

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55 minutes ago, JamieLynn said:

@Thomas.Dodson yes, the asymmetry and the almost "wood grain"  look of the striations. 

The asymmetric blades and grainy striations are common on a lot of teeth. I think it is a pretty normal thing, at least in the anterior teeth.

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14 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

have tentatively ID'd the top tooth as Cretodus semplicatus due to the striations on the blade. 

The second tooth looks so similar, but no striations so is it Cretolamna appendiculata? 

I don't think they're either of those taxa.

@Mikrogeophagus would know this one

Edited by Jared C

“Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think” -Werner Heisenberg 

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Those teeth are pretty difficult. There's a lot of weathering and the small sizes could throw in weird stuff with ontogeny. I do agree with @Jared C that the 2 aforementioned taxa are likely incorrect.

 

1st tooth: This was tricky at first because I was really trying to make Cretodus work in my head. The labial view of the tooth and its very apparent lack of striation was giving me trouble though. Scapanorhynchus "raphiodon" (quotations bc I'm still trying to sort out the species, but S. raphiodon is the paleobucket used for the Turonian-Coniacian of Texas) does fit this striation description well. The cusp/cusplets (inclination, length, shape) are about right. What's confusing is the root morphology. Remember, there is a lot of abrasion at work, so the relatively thin/delicate ears of the root could have easily been shaved down, giving this strange appearance.

 

2nd tooth: This tooth has no striations and is generally pretty featureless. With not much to work with, I am kinda just going off of vibes, and the vibes are saying Dallasiella willistoniDallasiella is a common species in the Late Cenomanian - Early Coniacian of Texas and is often the culprit for teeth of this shape. Here's some pictures that you might find similarities in: https://sternbergca.fhsu.edu/index.php/Search/objects/key/e83bb39ea73795f0298cd90b0b090bec/facet/genus_facet/id/5324/view/images

 

3rd + 4th: I think you got the species right. That Ptychotrygon triangularis is indeed very pretty! Remember that if it has multiple transverse crests, it is Ptychotrygon and not Texatrygon (ideally ;)) .

 

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thanks @Mikrogeophagus ! Yeah, the lack of the nutrient groove was what kept me from saying Scapanorhynchus, but otherwise, they look like what I think of as a Scap! I had not heard of Dallasiella, and seeing the images those look pretty spot on. Just lacking that little indent on the root, but blame weathering for that I guess. Thanks so much! 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Happy Thursday @JamieLynn! That crystallized Gastropod is almost too pretty to be real! What a find. 
 

As a newbie, I’ll defer to the experts of course, but would love to throw my thoughts into the mix for feedback. 
 

1) This one is probably a leap but any chance this could be a segment of crab claw? Reasons being the perfectly hollow shell-like core and correct ridges/striatuons  running base to tip, which are hopefully noticeable in this pic of some of my hollow claws (fossil and modern). IMG_4764.thumb.jpeg.20a382e2312bbd8aa72db76aecab37f1.jpeg

 

2) First impression was rough sawfish rostral tooth. IMG_4759.thumb.jpeg.753921c44ab9c56cbcbb9679bd77773b.jpegIMG_4760.thumb.jpeg.38ec4c451ebf9b290226a05d3d36e756.jpegIMG_4762.jpeg.2400af5935d736adeec3c965a368a2c8.jpeg

 

3) I’m seeing a really nice smooth shiny burr/pufferfish mouth plate? Below is one of mine and a more detailed shot of a TFF id. 

 

IMG_4692.thumb.jpeg.34a4882b085749f5931e2be0bdb45790.jpegIMG_4763.jpeg.dc8cc13d01e81fefd4be94610ef744eb.jpeg
 

Thanks for sharing and testing my identification skills!

 

Best,

 

Jena

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HI @totallydigsit !  

So #1 is not a crab claw because claws do not have a carina "edge"  as this fossil does. Plus, crab claws (at least the Cretaceous ones, which I have collected) do not have this kind of striated surface and almost always have tiny holes where the little hairs poke out, which you can see on the picture you posted of that modern crab claw.

 

It's not a Sawfish rostral because they seem to always fossilize in that dark almost translucent enamel. If you will also notice, mine also curves both distally and vertically wheras rostrals do not curve.  Plus, rostrals are rather thin and long and this is very robust. 

 

I am not sure which fossil you are comparing the burrfish mouthplate with, perhaps #4, the Ptychotrygon? I do know its a sawfish tooth, but it just looks a bit different than other Ptychotrygons I've found, so was wondering if it might be another species of the same genus. It's not a mouthplate because Burrfish mouthplates, as far as I am aware, are not found in the Cretaceous as they did not evolve until much later - Miocene/Pliocene etc...

 

And as for the "gastropod", if you will read the other posts above, you will see that it turns out that is the egg case of a modern Cadis Fly. It sure looks like a gastropod and is still pretty cool.   Glad you are learning and discerning new fossil info! Happy Hunting! 

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