Kem Kem Dromaeosaurid like tooth?

[BirdsAreDinosaurs]

Looks like a pretty good candidate for a possible Dromaeosaurid tooth to me (small, compressed, recurved, clear difference in serration size and a mesial twist) but I would welcome your opinions. The tooth is 13 mm long. Serration counts are 16 per 5mm distal ans 23 per 5 mm mesial. Thanks!

 

 

[Troodon]

Well its possible that its a Dromaeosaurid "like" tooth but it could also fit being a Noasaurid we just don't know.  Lots of variations with raptor teeth most don't have a lingual twist and we cannot even confirm that they exist in the K K Group.  We know very little of most Theropod dentitions in this fauna.  Nice to have and hopefully someday we can have answers.

[Troodon]

Here is a quote from Hendrickx et al. from their Spino quadrate paper, 2016

 

" Given the important morphological similarities noted by Fanti and Therrien , Hendrickx and Mateus, and Evans et al.  between the dentition of Noasauridae and Dromaeosauridae, it is indeed likely that the dromaeosaurid teeth reported by Amiot et al. and Richter et al. from the Kem Kem beds belong to Deltadromeus."

 

Lots of unknowns, just accumulate teeth of different morphologies and someday if you are young enough you might get some answers 

[BirdsAreDinosaurs]

12 hours ago, Troodon said:

Here is a quote from Hendrickx et al. from their Spino quadrate paper, 2016

 

" Given the important morphological similarities noted by Fanti and Therrien , Hendrickx and Mateus, and Evans et al.  between the dentition of Noasauridae and Dromaeosauridae, it is indeed likely that the dromaeosaurid teeth reported by Amiot et al. and Richter et al. from the Kem Kem beds belong to Deltadromeus."

 

Lots of unknowns, just accumulate teeth of different morphologies and someday if you are young enough you might get some answers 

Thanks! Not sure if I am young enough given the rate of new discoveries from Kem Kem, but I will keep my fingers crossed for some nice skulls with teeth

 

Until I see bigger versions of this tooth type I do personally like to believe that other tooth morphologies are more likely to belong to Deltadromeus. But that is based on incomplete knowledge and wishful thinking  And it does not exclude the possibility of smaller Noasaurids in the paleofauna. And the possibility of morphological variation between juveniles and adults and positional variations. Or perhaps Deltadromeus just had very small teeth.

 

Anyway, I am pretty happy with this tooth and will keep my eyes open for other morphologies.

Edited April 26, 2022 by BirdsAreDinosaurs