LMX020 - INTACT SOUTH AMERICAN TOXODON MOLAR TOOTH WITH PARTIAL ROOTS

Product Description

ITEM # 

LMX020

ID

Toxodon sp.

FOUND

South America

AGE

PLIOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE:  3 million - 11,000 years ago

SIZE

1.6" high x 1" wide

CONDITION

INTACT, AS FOUND - NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION

NOTE

EXTREMELY RARE SPECIMEN WITH SCIENTIFIC
AND HISTORICAL VALUE - FIRST DESCRIBED BY DARWIN!

INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX - Actual Item - One Only

Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet

This is an extremely rare fossil molar tooth of a Toxodon, an extinct prehistoric beast that once thrived in South America from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene Periods.  Toxodon fossils are rare and their absence in the commercial market is not only due to their scarcity but also due to the fact that for years, they have been protected and forbidden to be exported from the countries in South America where they are found.  We acquired a very old United States collection that included some of these rare fossils.  After these few specimens are sold, it is most likely we will never see such an opportunity again due to the strict regulations now in place. 

Regardless of its rarity, this is a well-preserved and complete molar tooth with a still attached partial root.  The enamel is a light golden hue with darker brown highlights.  When we acquired this specimen, it was in bad need of proper cleaning and conservation which we performed in our on-site lab but it required no other work besides that.  The tooth is INTACT and UNBROKEN.  Very little natural feeding wear is evident so a high crown is one of the prize features of this piece.  This fossil would not only make a fantastic and rare addition to an extinct South American mammal collection, but the historical scientific context would make this a fantastic display fossil for presentations or exhibits featuring Charles Darwin and his famous expeditions on the HMS Beagle. 

This extraordinary prize fossil boasts of 100% ORIGINAL AND NATURAL BEAUTY and has  NO ENHANCEMENT, FABRICATION OR RESTORATION. 

The scientific history of TOXODON fossils dates all the way back to Charles Darwin who first collected its fossils and described this unusual, extinct beast.  Darwin's travels and observations of South American mammals and their comparison to European counterparts led him to formulate his theories on evolution and natural selection.  Toxodon lived in South America from the Pliocene to Pleistocene Periods.  An herbivore, this animal had the head of a hippo but the robust body of a rhino with three-toed feet and strong muscles.  Full grown, it reached was 9 feet long and 5 feet high.  Because of its resemblance to a hippopotamus, Toxodon was first thought to be an amphibious mammal but later studies revealed it was a wholly terrestrial beast.  Several discoveries of Toxodon fossils have been found in association with prehistoric stone arrowheads indicating that they were hunted by ancient humans.