Pungofossils Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 Found this today on the bank of the pungo river in NC. I can't ID this one. Miocene Era, I believe. It's about 3/4" long. I am assuming it is a tooth, but not sure of what. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavialboy Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 i am by no means an expert but it might be a squalodon tooth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pungofossils Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 Looking at the pics online, it does look like one. Thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavialboy Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 no problem that is a great find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 Do you have a larger image you can post? I can't enlarge this enough to see what it is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pungofossils Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailingAlongToo Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 @Boesse may be able to help. He will probably want clear, close up photos from all angles, with a scale for reference. 1 Don't know much about history Don't know much biology Don't know much about science books......... Sam Cooke - (What A) Wonderful World Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 For comparison: 3 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 Hi all, @Pungofossils's tooth is a bit worn and the photos are a bit blurry so it's difficult to make out. It's a posterior upper postcanine tooth of a heterodont dolphin, perhaps a waipatiid, xenorophid, or small agorophiid (judging from more complete specimens from the Oligocene of SC). @Harry Pristis none of those are squalodontid teeth. Only one squalodontid is known from the Oligocene of SC - Eosqualodon - and its teeth are much larger than these. These teeth all probably belong to xenorophid dolphins - the double rooted tooth in particular is a good match for Echovenator sandersi, or something similar like Cotylocara. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 Bank of the Pungo River would probably be Pleistocene but the canal dug to connect the Pungo and Alligator Rivers could have gotten into Pliocene I suppose. Older Pungo River Formation sediment could have been used as fill from the phosphate mine though. Or perhaps the OP was referring to Pungo River Formation sediment piles in Aurora? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 I agree that better more in focused pictures are needed. But the tooth does look extremely worn and broken. I would default with Plax on the Geology of the area, meaning if it was found on the banks of the Pungo River it is most likely Pleistocene. And, I agree with Bobby that it is probably dolphin. I have some teeth from Lee Creek that are very similar in shape. Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted August 10, 2017 Share Posted August 10, 2017 I'll weigh in again on this: double rooted cheek teeth are present only in dolphins older than middle Miocene. So, derivation from the Pungo (or an older unit, not that many are present locally) is certain. Within the mine a fair amount of Pungo-age cetaceans are found reworked into the Yorktown. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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