Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) I was fossiling in the Edisto river (here in Charleston SC) this past Saturday. I found a nice 4" Megalodon, some petrified wood, a few smaller teeth, and this Gomphotheriun. The tooth is cover with a coating of what looks like millions of years of hardened gunk. I would like to clean it, although my first thought is.... is it worth it. I have no clue as to where to start on such a task. I have seen these teeth on the internet and they are a shiny mirror finish black. How in the world someone cleaned one to that degree is beyond me. Is there anyone out there that has any information on the cleaning of something like this? Click to enlarge photos Edited June 21, 2011 by Lee Taylor Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Don't laugh, but one member here uses BBQ sauce as a river-varnish remover... "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellseeker Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Fantastic Find!!! I found this 2 months ago in the Peace river. Looking at yours, they seem similar to the last 2 mounds. What do you think? Do I have a piece of Gomph? or not The White Queen ".... in her youth she could believe "six impossible things before breakfast" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I've also heard folks talk about using Mayonnaise and a product called Goo Gone. Not sure what's in Goo Gone but I've used it to remove tree sap off of both of my new cars. I also used mayonnaise and it removed the sap as well. I only switched to the Goo Gone cause my wife needed the mayo to make sandwiches for the next day. Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I don't have the best eyesite and that might explain me not seeing the crowding of secondary cusps in between the main enamel cusps in your photos. Are you sure it isn't Mammut americanum as opposed to Cuvieronius or similar? Great find by the way, more complete than any I've found. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeloiVarden Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) I would have voted mastadon for your tooth. As for the river grime, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. But don't use it too much or you will start to remove the natural shine on the enamal. And I would only use it on the enamal, not the root. Remember. You are in the Edisto. Some fossils clean up okay while other do not. As for the food layer (tarter) that usually develops and persists even in fossil form along the root line. My suggestion is to leave it alone. I think it adds to the story and looks pretty cool too. Removing it since it is now fossilized and usually intimately part of the main body fossil is asking for trouble. Nice specimen by the way! Here is a pic of a Gomph I found from the edisto as well and cleaned up. Edited June 21, 2011 by DeloiVarden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Very nice tooth and thanks for the film... Its great to see your hunting area's... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 not sure that i'd clean that mastodon tooth. guess it depends on how much your eyes need shiny things to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 I don't have the best eyesite and that might explain me not seeing the crowding of secondary cusps in between the main enamel cusps in your photos. Are you sure it isn't Mammut americanum as opposed to Cuvieronius or similar? Great find by the way, more complete than any I've found. No I am not sure and thank you for the observation. I noticed the cusps also. I will take a closer look at the reference materials. Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 I would have voted mastadon for your tooth. As for the river grime, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I will zero in on "what is it" as time passed. Thanks for the prompt. I will also give the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser a whirl. Thanks for the tip and nice photo! Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Fantastic Find!!! Do I have a piece of Gomph? or not Thank you. It is hard to tell what you have because there is not enough shape for recognition. If money were no object, carbon dating would tell the time frame and gas chromatography would identify the species. Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Very nice tooth and thanks for the film... Its great to see your hunting area's... Happy to hear you liked the video clip. Will post more. I was thinking others may enjoy seeing the area and your reply tells me I was right. I met a fossil hunter from Germany at Debra Powell's home (Venice Florida) while visiting a month ago. He had a interesting array of fossils from Europe that he wanted to sell. It was enjoyable seeing the difference in finds. Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Debra rocks! Found my first mastodon tooth with her guidance 5 years ago... Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I vote mastodon on this tooth as well. If this tooth was mine, I would clean it with a dremel with a wire brush. This will not damage the tooth unless you are reckless with it. Nice find, I found one similar last week as well. Auspex - It's cocktail sauce!! www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrehistoricFlorida Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Fantastic Find!!! I found this 2 months ago in the Peace river. Looking at yours, they seem similar to the last 2 mounds. What do you think? Do I have a piece of Gomph? or not You have a piece of mastodon. www.PrehistoricFlorida.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 ...Auspex - It's cocktail sauce!! I guess I fixated on the idea of Bar-B-Qed mastodon "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Very nice tooth and thanks for the film... Its great to see your hunting area's... Here are some more clips of the Edisto (the longest black water river in the United States at 206 miles in length). I am wanting to explore down river a bit more. Have a Cooper river fossiling trip tentatively planned for the second weekend in July Edited June 21, 2011 by Lee Taylor Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Taylor Posted June 21, 2011 Author Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Here is a map of the area: Edited June 21, 2011 by Lee Taylor Fossil Hunting in Charleston SC Charleston Shark Teeth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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