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3298 Views 5 Replies Last post: Sep 30, 2010 4:29 PM by Luanne - former Museum ID team member RSS
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Apr 20, 2011 3:59 PM

Answered - cow tooth

Hi everybody,

 

After a bit of help. We found this fossil tooth at ~3.7m down in silts in Grangeover Sands. The fossil came up within a windowless sample and we are all intrigued to know what it is and what it came from. The silts appear to be natural deposits, so it would seem safe to assume that the tooth was in its deposited position.

 

The preservation is very good, details such as gum-line? can be seen, as well small dints in the tooth and root canal?.

 

If the attached images are insufficient, please let me know as I can take further photos.

 

Any ideas let me know.

 

Thanks and kind regards

 

Message was edited by: Luanne

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Tags: help, fossil, identification, tooth
  • Luanne - former Museum ID team member Master
    Luanne - former Museum ID team member
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    Sep 23, 2010 1:03 PM (in response to Professional Dirt Worrier)
    Re: Help Identifiying a Fossil Tooth

    Hi there,

     

    I'm no expert in mammals, but I've been looking at a guide and I'm going to have a stab at it - I think this is an upper right m1 of Bos sp. It's very high crowned, which suggests to me it might be Bos primigenius, an auroch.

     

    But don't get your hopes up yet! I've passed this on to an expert in fossil mammals and am looking forward to his opinion. 

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    • Professional Dirt Worrier Novice
      Professional Dirt Worrier
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      Sep 23, 2010 3:05 PM (in response to Luanne - former Museum ID team member)
      Re: Help Identifiying a Fossil Tooth

      Wow Luanne,

       

      That's 'potentially' really exciting. Pre-historic/domestication cows if Google serves me correctly. A little reading around suggests that swampy/marshy areas would be an environment that Aurochs would dwell, which would fit the soil type the tooth was found in (organic silts, suggesting a possible marsh/swamp/estuarine paleo-environment).

       

      Glad you're looking forward to the expert's opinion, we are here. Thank you for having a look yourself, the speedy response and passing it on to the experts.

       

      And don't worry, hopes are not up but wonderment definately is :-)

       

      Hope to hear from you soon!

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  • Luanne - former Museum ID team member Master
    Luanne - former Museum ID team member
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 23, 2010 4:59 PM (in response to Professional Dirt Worrier)
    Re: Help Identifiying a Fossil Tooth

    Well, I've heard back from the specialist that it is indeed within the Bovidae family and is either Bos sp or Bison sp but he'd prefer not to speculate which. This leaves quite a few Pleistocene species a possibility. He also said it looks like a lower rather than an upper molar - so looks like I need to hit the books on mammal teeth a bit more!

    If I get any more info, I'll let you know.

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  • Luanne - former Museum ID team member Master
    Luanne - former Museum ID team member
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 30, 2010 4:29 PM (in response to Professional Dirt Worrier)
    Re: Help Identifiying a Fossil Tooth

    Hi,

    I'm afraid the genus Bos includes the modern domestic cow and we can't really tell the age from the photos, so a bog-standard domestic cow is still a possibility. We might be able to tell more from the weight and feel of the actual object, so please email me on ias2@nhm.ac.uk if you'd like to arrange to bring or send it into the museum.

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