|
|
EXTREMELY RARE COMPLETE ASSOCIATED MASTODON SKULL DENTITION SET WITH PALATE FROM YOUNG BULL ELEPHANT Santa Fe River, Florida, U.S.A. PLEISTOCENE PERIOD: 1.8 million - 10,000 years ago For the ultimate in an educational museum exhibit of the complete life phases of teeth in a mastodon, you could not ask for a more impressive and rare specimen as this. This is the complete palate with all original molars of a young bull elephant Mammut americanum or the 'American' mastodon. All pieces seen in the above photos are from the same Mastodon and were found together with a single tusk, LM15-023. As the teeth moved forward and out of the skull over the life of prehistoric elephants like the Mastodon, there could be varying numbers of sets of teeth in the skull - some periods where two full pairs are present in the uppers or times when a third set is emerging while the forward-most pair is beginning its phase of ejection. This remarkable specimen shows the most ideal period when the maximum of three pairs of teeth are present in the skull. There is a forward pair that the Mastodon was using fully, when eating. The second pair behind these are just showing wear as they move into a full use position. The final and third set of molars are giant, partially formed teeth with the cap (crown) fully formed and yet, no roots yet developed. The back portion of the skull that is shown detached above fits over these back molars. When the mastodon was alive, this final third pair was still below the gums in the very back of the roof of the mouth. This is a perfect specimen for educational presentations or museum demonstrations regarding the progression of Mastodon dentition growth. If you broke apart this set and sold every tooth individually, each of these 6 stunning molars would be true prize fossils. The fact that this is all from the same Mastodon with the original associated palate and posterior skull portion including all the teeth, complete with their full roots (except for the partially developed back molars), makes this a once-in-a-lifetime find. The colors and condition of this specimen are amazingly beautiful and of the finest preservation. A find like this is rare. Even our State Natural History Museum in Gainesville, Florida does not have a set like this which says a great deal about just how rare this specimen is. Florida offers one of the richest deposits of Ice Age vertebrate remains in North America. Palate has been reinforced on the underside with matrix and consolidant. Entire specimen with all molars and bone has NO RESTORATION OR FABRICATION. For the ultimate fossil Ice Age collection or museum exhibit, this is truly, a very attractive and visually impressive piece as well as being an EXTRAORDINARILY RARE complete molar set with skull portion. 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 tusks of the mastodon are not as long or dramatically curved like their mammoth cousins. Such large tusks would have made traversing the heavily wooded regions in which it thrived very difficult. 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. THE FINEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL, IMPRESSIVE COMPLETE MASTODON UPPER DENTITION WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED! THIS SPECIMEN FAR EXCEEDS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN ANY MUSEUM COLLECTION - ALL PHASES OF TOOTH GROWTH IN THIS SET FROM ONE ANIMAL 20" in length overall when assembled by 13" wide SOLD LM15X-001 INCLUDES STANDS Actual Item - One Only |
|
Florida 'American' Mastodon |
|
Comparison of the skeletal structure and body types of a Florida 'American' Mastodon (left) and a Florida 'Columbian' Mammoth (right) |
|
9850 |
