Strange Tooth Id Help Needed

[Rsmull]

As with my other creek finds post this was found in the same area. Auspex believes it may be a Basilosaurus canine.

It has small serrations on the inside curve

Edited September 22, 2013 by Rsmull

[John Hamilton]

How about a Tyrannosauridae tooth like this one from the NC Fossil Club site?

[Mammathus]

Sorry I don't know exactly what it is, but it is an aquatic vertebrate. Too flat to be terrestrial. Tyrannosaurids are more robust in the transverse plane. What formation do you think it came from? That would help.

[wibrown]

Dryptosaurus?

Edited September 22, 2013 by wibrown

[wibrown]

Here are a couple photos of a Dryptosaurus tooth (what's left) from another NC Cretaceous site.

[siteseer]

I'm leaning away from archaeocete though I see why Auspex suggested that. Your tooth seems flatter than archaeocete canines I've seen but I have seen maybe only 3-4 up close. It does look more like a theropod tooth especially with the small, regular serrations along the distal edge.

What other fossils have you found where you found this tooth. As Mammathus noted, any stratigraphic information on the area would help. However, some terrestrial vertebrates have rather flat teth such as varanid lizards and ziphodont crocodiles. That tooth does not seem to match up to the overall size and shape of either or those groups.

Since Auspex did suggest archaeocete, that means he had reason to consider a Middle-Late Eocene age. There are NC sites where Middle-Late Eocene and Late Cretaceous vertebrate fossils can be found together.

Maybe FF member Troodon can take a look. I have seen him ID teeth like that or at least eliminate possibilities.

Maybe FF member Troodon will be able to ID it or eliminate a few of the offered determinations. I've seen him help other people ID teeth like these or at least tell them what they are not.

As with my other creek finds post this was found in the same area. Auspex believes it may be a Basilosaurus canine.

IMG_2375.jpgIMG_2375-2.jpgIMG_2374.jpgIMG_2373.jpgIMG_2372.jpgIMG_2372-2.jpgIMG_2370.jpg

It has small serrations on the inside curve