New Members Ghully Posted November 29, 2020 New Members Share Posted November 29, 2020 I started collecting megalodon teeth about a year ago and this was my first tooth. Now that I have a few others, I’ve noticed possible discrepancies with the tooth. My other teeth have a grainy, gritty textured root but this one has a smooth textured root with a shiny appearance. The root of this tooth is also very smooth/slippery to the touch, whereas with my other teeth, the root is fairly rough to the touch. Also, where the enamel meets the bourlette, that is also quite smooth but on my other teeth, it is fairly sharp and jagged in comparison. Any advice is appreciated as I’m still fairly new to collecting. Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Ghully Posted November 29, 2020 Author New Members Share Posted November 29, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRatKing Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 The differences in texture are the result of cleaning and stabilization with fixatives. We will need close ups to make further observations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 From the provided photos (obviously), I don't dislike your tooth at all. Perhaps the difference you perceive is the result of more ocean wear? To explore further, hit it with a UV lamp and try poking the root with a red hot needle in an effort to expose any mischief. If you suspect paint is covering a reconstruction, expose it to some acetone. Good luck, have fun. 1 Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett Breakin' Rocks Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Ghully said: Also, where the enamel meets the bourlette, that is also quite smooth but on my other teeth, it is fairly sharp and jagged in comparison. If you hunt and purchase teeth online you will start to recognize that the environments that the teeth are found in will vary greatly and affect the condition of the tooth and blade, serrations etc. This is a creek tooth from Summerville and has been eroded, redeposited, and eroded some more before I stumbled upon it. Slick as a polished stone in a tumbler (which essentially it is - a stone polished by time and the elements) Nothing rough about it .... This next megalodon is a bone valley tooth found in Florida from a land site, a phosphate mine .. less exposure to the elements (so to speak) and has a great blade .. but the roots and bourlette of these teeth are usually eroded and fragile. This tooth was found in the desert and is in great condition, it was most likely exposed to mostly wind and rain. Sometimes the big meg teeth like the ones you have, were treated by a mild vinegar solution to help loosen the ocean critters that grow on the surface and at times they may polish them a bit .. but to be honest, that is a typical look and feel for a meg of that type that has been sitting at the bottom of the ocean/river I mean .. they pull them up every year by the ton. Image Credit: Poseidon Adventures Cheers, Brett 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praefectus Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 I believe that tooth is real. No repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Ghully Posted November 29, 2020 Author New Members Share Posted November 29, 2020 9 hours ago, LabRatKing said: The differences in texture are the result of cleaning and stabilization with fixatives. We will need close ups to make further observations Close ups of which parts exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Ghully Posted November 29, 2020 Author New Members Share Posted November 29, 2020 9 hours ago, snolly50 said: From the provided photos (obviously), I don't dislike your tooth at all. Perhaps the difference you perceive is the result of more ocean wear? To explore further, hit it with a UV lamp and try poking the root with a red hot needle in an effort to expose any mischief. If you suspect paint is covering a reconstruction, expose it to some acetone. Good luck, have fun. I’ll try both of these to make sure. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Ghully Posted November 29, 2020 Author New Members Share Posted November 29, 2020 14 hours ago, Brett Breakin' Rocks said: If you hunt and purchase teeth online you will start to recognize that the environments that the teeth are found in will vary greatly and affect the condition of the tooth and blade, serrations etc. This is a creek tooth from Summerville and has been eroded, redeposited, and eroded some more before I stumbled upon it. Slick as a polished stone in a tumbler (which essentially it is - a stone polished by time and the elements) Nothing rough about it .... This next megalodon is a bone valley tooth found in Florida from a land site, a phosphate mine .. less exposure to the elements (so to speak) and has a great blade .. but the roots and bourlette of these teeth are usually eroded and fragile. This tooth was found in the desert and is in great condition, it was most likely exposed to mostly wind and rain. Sometimes the big meg teeth like the ones you have, were treated by a mild vinegar solution to help loosen the ocean critters that grow on the surface and at times they may polish them a bit .. but to be honest, that is a typical look and feel for a meg of that type that has been sitting at the bottom of the ocean/river I mean .. they pull them up every year by the ton. Image Credit: Poseidon Adventures Cheers, Brett I wasn’t aware of most of this information so thank you! That’s really helpful and something I’ll make sure to look into when I’m next buying. Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricWonders Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Looks good. Nice tooth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members Chrisc27 Posted October 18, 2021 New Members Share Posted October 18, 2021 Hello all, was really hoping somebody could let me know if this tooth is real with no repairs and resto. I believe it is a real Indonesian tooth. Please see attached images. There are 12 images. It seems to be a beauty, 5.75 inch upper anterior principal Meg. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanotyrannus35 Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 Be careful with all Indonesian megalodon teeth. The roots aren't usually preserved, so some sellers make fake roots out of the matrix. This one looks mostly real, but there could still be some restoration on the root. Enthusiastic Fossil Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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