I think this may be a shark juvenile tooth - several species have
tricuspid teeth but usually they are more unequal in size, I don't have
any quite like this but I have a few pictures of fossil ones eg Triakis
which look much closer to this. An adult shark tooth has a solid
bulbous base but juvenile ones are open and can end up rather flat.
Sorry I can't be more precise but it may give you some ideas to follow -
even if only to eliminate!
Sheila
SH-D ArchaeoZoology
http://www.shd-archzoo.co.uk
On 09/05/2010 20:52, Marie-Cécile Soulier wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I've been stuck for a couple of months on a piece of tooth (?) from a
> faunal collection I'm studying...
> The remain comes from a Protoaurignacian site from South-west of
> France where horse is the main taxa.
> It is nearly 2 cm in length but only 1 mm thick !
> The surface looks like enamel to me, but I can't find which animal
> might have this type of teeth...
> I have shown it to worked bone specialists who told me it does not
> look like the remain was modified by human hands.
> I already tried to compare it with herbivores, carnivores, some fish
> and marine mammals, but without any luck.
>
> Here are some pictures :
> http://mcsoulier.free.fr/zooarch/1.JPG
> http://mcsoulier.free.fr/zooarch/2.JPG
> http://mcsoulier.free.fr/zooarch/3.JPG
> http://mcsoulier.free.fr/zooarch/4.JPG
> http://mcsoulier.free.fr/zooarch/5.JPG
> http://mcsoulier.free.fr/zooarch/6.JPG
>
> If anyone has any idea, I will be very grateful !
> Marie-Cécile
>
> --
> Marie-Cécile Soulier
> Doctorante (PhD student) TRACES UMR 5608
> Université Toulouse Le Mirail
> Maison de la Recherche
> 5, allées Antonio Machado
> 31 058 Toulouse cedex 9
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