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PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 1.8 million - 10,000 years ago Mastodon teeth are far more rare than mammoth teeth and few truly nice specimens ever make it to market.For every high quality Mastodon tooth, you could literally fill a dump truck bed with equally high quality but very prevalent Russian (Siberian) Mammoth teeth. Research the market and you will agree. As the Russians continue to flood the market with Mammoth teeth year after year, one wonders if there will ever be an end. With so many available, it is highly unlikely Russian Siberian Mammoth teeth will EVER appreciate no matter how nice. The OPPOSITE is true with high grade North American Mastodon teeth. These are RARE fossils in fine qualities and prices are GUARANTEED to always appreciate as the supply can never satisfy the demand! This impeccable Mammut americanum or 'American' mastodon tooth features virtually unworn cusps and half the roots. It is not a cap nor a spit tooth and was in the mastodon's jaw when the animal died. The enamel is perfect and complete in a mix of black, white and orange with a bright lustrous shine emanating from the entire crown. The tooth would have freshly erupted from the jaw and there is just a light sign of feeding wear on the very tips of two cusps. Its less than full size indicates it came from an animal in its pre-adolescent years. It is INTACT and WITH NO RESTORATION AND NO REPAIR. Emerging 55 million years ago, the group of mammals called proboscideans are identified by the presence of tusks and a trunk and comprise three families: Mammutidae, Gomphotheriidae and Elephantidae. In Florida, the mastodon, a member of the family Mammutidae (mammoths are members of Elephantidae), represents one of two of the oldest known proboscideans first dating back to the Miocene. They became extinct 11,000 years ago along with all other proboscideans in Florida. When standing aside a mammoth, the mastodon looks just like a Neanderthal version of the proboscideans. The body form is shorter, more stout and robust and lends itself to a much more muscular physique in contrast to the more graceful and taller mammoth. The cheek teeth of mastodons are also more primitive with sharp crests and a dramatic lobed surface in unworn examples compared to the flat and fine ridged surface of mammoth teeth that resemble the sole of a boating sneaker. These differences tell us about the types of food that both types of creatures ate. The mastodon was more suited for forest environments with teeth that were well adapted for chewing tougher vegetation like twigs, leaves, shrubs, fruits, pinecones, pine needles and mosses. The mammoth with its smoother teeth, was best suited for the open plains feeding on a variety of grasses. A mastodon, like all proboscideans, has a system of horizontal tooth replacement whereby new molars erupt from the rear of the jaw and move forward. The most worn teeth at the front, are pushed out of the jaw. Sometimes while still in the jaw, the anterior portion of a worn front tooth is broken off. These partial teeth are found as fossils along with complete specimens. A baby proboscidean at age 6, will have already had three sets of teeth. By 13 years of age, the fourth set emerges followed by a fifth set at age 27 years. The final set of teeth come in around 43 years of age and as it wears away, the animal eventually starves to death and dies on average between 60 and 80 years of age. Interestingly, the animal's life is limited by the fact that after the sixth set, no new teeth grow in to replace the final worn down set and the animal is no longer able to chew its food. This characteristic is still true of modern elephants. EXTREMELY HIGH GRADE EXAMPLE IN FRESHLY ERUPTED CONDITION - THE ANIMAL DIED WITH THIS TOOTH! 3.25" long x 2.75" wide SOLD LM15-007 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
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Florida 'American' mastodon |
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Comparison of the skeletal structure and body types of a Florida 'American' mastodon (left) and a Florida 'Columbian' mammoth (right) |
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