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EXTREMELY RARE SET OF BABY MASTODON LOWER TUSKS WITH MOLAR TOOTH ALL FROM SAME ELEPHANT Underwater Marine Site, Gulf of Mexico - 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 set of fossils from the same Mammut americanum or 'American' mastodon is a must have for a museum display or academic collection exhibiting the fossils of prehistoric elephants in North America. This is a very rare set because it includes a complete set of BOTH lower tusks as well as a perfect molar tooth from the same baby Mastodon. All of these specimens were found concentrated together in a very rare underwater off-shore marine Pleistocene deposit in the Gulf of Mexico. It is rare to find a single lower tusk from these prehistoric extinct elephants but a set of BOTH of the tusks is extremely rare. To find other associated fossils like this perfect molar cap is an even greater rarity which makes this a fantastic collection for scientific study as well as educational display. This fine collection should be of special interest to anyone fascinated with the prehistoric development and lineage of the elephant in North America. The tusks and molar are intact with the finest degree of preservation. Both are complete and in the most stunningly well-preserved state you could ask for with a large root portion on both tusks that would have been embedded in the jaw. The enamel on the tips is impeccably intact and naturally lustrous in jet black. The tips are complete with no wear or damage. This VERY RARE and SELDOM SEEN set of Mastodon fossils are of the highest possible grade and simply CANNOT be improved upon. The fact they all come from the same baby elephant makes them especially attractive. Never before have we encountered both lower tusks and an associated tooth from a baby Mastodon. All of these specimens are INTACT and WITH NO RESTORATION AND NO REPAIR. 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. OF THE VERY FEW WE'VE EVER SEEN, THIS IS BY FAR, THE FINEST AND FROM THE YOUNGEST MASTODON Lower tusks are 1.8" and 1.3" long and molar tooth is 3.2" long $2495 LM15-019 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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