JohnJ Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Going back through some earlier finds in my collection, I saw this jaw that I never ID'd. Any ideas...Joe, Harry, anyone? Thanks. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kauffy Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 croc/gator? "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitment of possibility!"We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Marine, terrestrial, or unknown? "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...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I saw John's jaw first hand. Based on locality info which will remain undisclosed, rest assured that it is terrestrial in nature. I first thought croc/gator but dismissed that notion. If I was looking at the specimen right, one end which might be approaching the symphesis had no teeth, and I've never seen a gator missing his front teeth. Then again, maybe what I thought was the symphesis is actually back near the ramus, in which case the croc/gator explanation would be more plausible. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 I saw John's jaw first hand. Based on locality info which will remain undisclosed, rest assured that it is terrestrial in nature. I first thought croc/gator but dismissed that notion. If I was looking at the specimen right, one end which might be approaching the symphesis had no teeth, and I've never seen a gator missing his front teeth. Then again, maybe what I thought was the symphesis is actually back near the ramus, in which case the croc/gator explanation would be more plausible. When you allow for the possibility that this is a crocodilian jaw, Dan, are you implying with confidence that these are individual peg-like teeth and not the roots of double-rooted teeth? What are the age constraints (no earlier than / no later than) on the jaw. These stream-polished bits of bone are often unidentifiable with certainty. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Harry, Welcome back into the fold. You raised a point that I had failed to consider with the single vs. double rooted teeth, and that is the beauty of this board. The area is mapped as Miocene-Pliocene overlain with Pleistocene terrace deposits, and Miocene and Pliocene surface exposures in Texas are represented almost exclusively by terrestrial deposits for reasons I have not fully researched or explored. 1 Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted September 17, 2008 Author Share Posted September 17, 2008 Harry may be right; there might not be enough diagnostic features left to ID it with certainty. However, these extra views may help. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 17, 2008 Share Posted September 17, 2008 Harry may be right; there might not be enough diagnostic features left to ID it with certainty. However, these extra views may help. http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted September 18, 2008 Author Share Posted September 18, 2008 Well Harry, the root of the problem...is that three of them appear to be oval or round. However, one of the root cavities may be slightly deformed. The photo below is fairly accurate as to shape. There may also be some difference in the alignment of the root cavities. The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Pristis Posted September 18, 2008 Share Posted September 18, 2008 Well Harry, the root of the problem...is that three of them appear to be oval or round. However, one of the root cavities may be slightly deformed. The photo below is fairly accurate as to shape. There may also be some difference in the alignment of the root cavities. Hmmm. Giant armadillo premolars are more or less round, rounder than the molars anyway. So are ground sloth deciduous premolars. The alveolus that is just opening at the end of the tooth row may contain an adult tooth -- an enamel cap, at least. An x-ray may provide an answer to the question of the identity of this critter. Let us know what you find out. 1 http://pristis.wix.com/the-demijohn-page What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time? ---Shakespeare, The Tempest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now