Mammoth Tooth Identification ?

[chippewa6]

Hello, I am new to this and have aquired a mammoth tooth and section of tusk supposedly from the same animal. Would anyone know which tooth this is (upper or lower) ? Is there a way to tell the type of mammoth and approximate age of the animal? The biting surface is 10" X 4 1/2". Tooth is 10" high, about 12 " long. I guess I am curious if the story that went along with the tooth is true. I aquired this from an old woman who had had it for over 50 years. Supposedly her husband and co workers working in a gold mine in Alaska in the early 1950's found the entire animal and divided up the teeth and tusk among themselves. There are a couple newer dings on it where she had let her children take it to school for show and tell and they dropped it. It weighs about 13 pounds. I did find info regarding shreger lines to identify the tusk and they are less then 90 degrees and definately a type of mammoth. Any info would be appreciated.

[chippewa6]

Sorry, pics didnt take, had to reduce the size.

[Harry Pristis]

Hello, I am new to this and have aquired a mammoth tooth and section of tusk supposedly from the same animal. Would anyone know which tooth this is (upper or lower) ? Is there a way to tell the type of mammoth and approximate age of the animal? The biting surface is 10" X 4 1/2". Tooth is 10" high, about 12 " long. I guess I am curious if the story that went along with the tooth is true. I aquired this from an old woman who had had it for over 50 years. Supposedly her husband and co workers working in a gold mine in Alaska in the early 1950's found the entire animal and divided up the teeth and tusk among themselves. There are a couple newer dings on it where she had let her children take it to school for show and tell and they dropped it. It weighs about 13 pounds. I did find info regarding shreger lines to identify the tusk and they are less then 90 degrees and definately a type of mammoth. Any info would be appreciated.

Nice acquisitions, Chip! The common northern (Alaskan) species is the wooly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius. These are Late Pleistocene in age, say less than 100,000 years (Illinoisan Glacial/Interglacial period).

Perhaps someone can tell you authoritatively if your tooth is an upper or lower, but I cannot.

------Harry Pristis

[geofossil]

That's not just a mammoth tooth but a 'mammoth-sized' mammoth tooth

It's a lower tooth. I can't tell from the photo if left or right. Hold the tooth with the flat sideup (as a lower tooth) with the thinner edge facing forward. The roots should curve slightly to the inside to determine if left or right.

Quite the tooth! I've found two mammoth teeth over the years and together they might not be the size of that monster. Your tooth is also in incredible good condition. Your tooth is the type of specimen that forms the center of a fossil collection.