New Members yard Posted February 25, 2015 New Members Share Posted February 25, 2015 Is there any possibility that a tooth has been embedded in the anthracite coal that I burn? I hand-feed larger coal, so individual lumps are regularly over an inch wide by three to even four inches long. I have more than once removed from the fire-bed items that appear far too anatomical to be simply burned coal. "Clinkers" develop, from the agitation process and raking the fire. These have to be cleaned out periodically and will block the air from entering the fire if you don't. I pulled a very firm and hard item out of the fire. It fell onto the tile floor and sounded very high-pitched. It was very different from the thud that should have reported from a clinker or even a fresh lump. I crumbled off the crunchy bits and was left with this 2 1/2 inch long, narrow, almost-pointed item. Curious, I cracked it in half. Inside was bright white and porous. It was reminiscent of those pictures on the wall at the dentist. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will do my best to upload as many as I can. I think it’s a tooth! The possibility of it being limestone or something similar is usually what I settle on. I wish now that I had kept all of those suspicious specimens to post. My first thought was: since the fire gets so hot, practically nothing would avoid combusting. Teeth, especially fossilized ones, might be pretty tough. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 IMO, the highly pneumatacized interior is not consistent with a tooth, and neither is its structure like any cancellous bone. It think it might be mineral that has been vitrified by the high temperature to which it was subjected. "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...
New Members yard Posted February 26, 2015 Author New Members Share Posted February 26, 2015 IMO, the highly pneumatacized interior is not consistent with a tooth, and neither is its structure like any cancellous bone. It think it might be mineral that has been vitrified by the high temperature to which it was subjected. That was my first impression too. May I PM you with my photobucket link to review a few more high resoultion images of this specimen and two others which were not burned but rather recovered from a blasting site in NE Pennsylvania. I'm meeting a professor Thursday or Friday at East Stroudsburg Univ. to review the other items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Here is a Leptophractus obsoletus tooth in Bituminous coal. There is very little of the original tooth enamel present. If the coal was burned, very little Calcined ash would be left and the remnant ash wouldn't look like a tooth. Something was in the coal or mixed with it; that gave your light formed piece. I don't know what you have, but I'd feel safe to say it's not a tooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) I agree with auspex... Your 'tooth' is too porous to be a tooth. Edited February 26, 2015 by jpc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members yard Posted February 26, 2015 Author New Members Share Posted February 26, 2015 Thank you all for weighing in and fossilcrazy for the image to compare. I will post back after it is reviewed by the prof's at ESU today, they aren't actually meeting in reference to this, but I'm bringing it along anyway for giggles. This has been a pleasant entrance to the forum. When I know more about my other specimens I will post them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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