Dromeosaur or Tyrannosaur?

[The_bro87]

I was reading some posts about tooth ID last night on the forum. I read that dromeosaur teeth from the Hell Creek formation have different serrations on the front and the back. If I remember correctly, I think I saw a post that said the back side of the tooth have larger serrations. I saw this tooth from Carter county Montana this morning, listed as dromeosaur but to me it looked like both sets of serrations were pretty uniform. I was wondering if there’s a chance this is a tyrannosaur tooth, or if it is some type of dromeosaur tooth. It’s approx. 3/8 long, so maybe the size alone is enough to rule out tyrannosaur but I thought I might as well check.  Unfortunately only 2 pictures were given. 

[The_bro87]

[PaleoNoel]

If you could post a photo of the base of the tooth that would be helpful for us. In my opinion it looks like a juvenile Tyrannosaur tooth based on how thick it appears and the serrations being uniform.

[dinosaur man]

I agree with PaleoNoel juvenile tyrannosaur 

[The_bro87]

I wish I had a picture of the base. Only those two were given on the listing along with a picture of it in a case, but that just shows one of the same sides of the tooth. Thanks for your help, if I end up buying it I’ll send pictures of the base. 

[Troodon]

This is a tyrannosaurid tooth most likely Trex.  

[The_bro87]

Awesome! Are tyrannosaur teeth this size commonly confused with dromeosaur teeth? 

[Troodon]

6 minutes ago, The_bro87 said:

Awesome! Are tyrannosaur teeth this size commonly confused with dromeosaur teeth? 

No. Simply because Dromaeosaurids are recurved on the distal edge not straight.  Also Dromaeosaurids are typically very compressed, this one looks fat.  Most of the confusion are sellers calling them Nanotyrannus 

[The_bro87]

That’s interesting. Thank you 

[Troodon]

Well let me say that there are a couple of sellers that label everything under one inch has Dromaeosaurus.   

[The_bro87]

Sorry for the long delay, if anyone reads this, but I ended up getting this same tooth as a Christmas gift. I’m pretty sure it’s T.rex because the base is very thick and oval shaped, and the width of the tooth is very wide for its size. 

[The_bro87]

[Troodon]

Yes it's tyrannosaurid 

[The_bro87]

Would you agree that it’s moot likely T. Rex?

[Troodon]

Yes most likely..I like those small teeth

[The_bro87]

I think their interesting too, because  teeth like this help prove Nannotyrannus is it’s own species because If nannos were just juvenile rexes, you wouldn’t find very small Rex teeth. 

[The_bro87]

Also, I was wondering if baby T. rex teeth for the most part look just like the adult teeth, or if there are any changes to the way the teeth look as the animal aged? 

[Troodon]

Unfortunately those Trex "experts" have blinders on and cannot see the forest from the trees.  Ego plays a huge part and what big name paleontologists wants to be proven wrong.

 

Yes the ones I've seen are duplicates of adult one, but your tooth could be a germ or replacement tooth of an older animal.  I dont see any wear on the serrations but it's hard to tell if it was a functional tooth.

[The_bro87]

So it’s possible for an adult Rex to have a small tooth like that? Is that what a germ tooth is? 

[Troodon]

Adult probably not but a young juvie possible. Might not be the correct terminology but I call a germ tooth one that is starting to backfill for the replacement tooth.  

[The_bro87]

Oh ok. Do you think it’s possible this tooth isn’t rex at all? I think it has all the right features, but I’m curious if there’s other species from Hell creek that can replicate small rex teeth. 

[Troodon]

Like I said most likely T-rex the only other possibility is Nanotyrannus but the morphology does not fit but have not seen a baby Nano jaw with teeth.   The denticles are definitely Tyrannosaurid.   

[The_bro87]

Got it. Thank you. Hopefully one day there’ll be a lot more specimens of Nannotyrannus and it can be studied more.