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SUPER RARE SMALLEST EVER PERFECTLY INTACT BABY MASTODON LOWER TUSK WITH FULL ROOT AND SUPERB ENAMEL Suwannee River - Florida, U.S.A. PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 1.8 million - 10,000 years ago In keeping with offering some of the finest attainable Pleistocene specimens from North America, this impeccable Mammut americanum or 'American' mastodon lower tusk is a fossil that you will rarely find even in the finest museum collections. It is complete and in the most stunningly well-preserved state you could ask for. What makes it especially rare is the fact that this is THE ABSOLUTE SMALLEST AND YOUNGEST mastodon baby lower tusk we have ever known or heard about. As such a statement coming from a company that is based in Florida where most of the richest vertebrate Pleistocene fossil deposits come from in North America, this is a statement to take to heart. The ivory enamel is jet black and is very dense with even the full root being present in a dark chocolate brown. The tip is completely present with no wear or damage. All of the original enamel is still visible! This tiny tusk is EXACTLY AS FOUND with nothing done to it. Never before have we encountered a lower tusk from such a little baby Mastodon. This poor little guy would have been the size of a calf! The rarity of this fossil cannot be emphasized enough. If you display any fossil proboscidean specimens, especially from juveniles, this lower tusk will be the most fascinating and uncommon addition to any collection regardless of how advanced and would look perfect alongside a fine grade baby Mastodon tooth such as LM15-020. As a matter of fact, this lower tusk would have come from a baby mastodon the same size as these teeth. Both would make an incredibly rare display set rivaling what most museums in the world have to offer. It is INTACT and WITH NO RESTORATION AND NO REPAIR. For a collection of fossil tusks, this HAS to be the perfect specimen to include and exhibit for a museum displaying the extreme opposite version of GIANT PREHISTORIC EXTINCT ELEPHANT TUSKS! Only young Mastodons possessed lower tusks as well as upper tusks. These were very small vestigial tusks when compared to the prominent uppers. The lower tusks were permanently lost once the animal reached adulthood. They are highly uncommon in fossil collections and often damaged or fragmented when discovered. 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. WE HAVE HANDLED SEVERAL OF THESE RARE FOSSILS BUT THIS IS BY FAR, THE SMALLEST WE HAVE EVER HEARD OF! FINEST GRADE INTACT LOWER TUSK FROM THE YOUNGEST OF MASTODONS - THE SIZE OF A CALF! 1.25" long $895 LM15-029 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX 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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