Mammoth Fossils

Mammoths are some of the more famous members of the Order Proboscidea.  The Order Proboscidea includes elephants, mastodons, gompotheres, and other less-well-known animals with a pronounced 'proboscis'.   Mammoths flourished across much of of the northern hemisphere starting about 150,000 years ago, and ending about 10,000 years ago.  The Woolly Mammoth (Mammothus Primigenius) is arguably among the best represented of extinct animals on earth, due to their preservation in permafrost in the arctic.

The Latin root of the word "fossil" literally translates "having been dug up".  And fossils may be completely mineralized (like the wood found in the petrified forest in Arizona), or there may be little or no mineralization.  Heavily mineralized mammoth fossils are fairly rare, and usually limited to very old specimens.

The very best mammoth fossils frequently have almost no mineralization.  In the permafrost of Siberia and Alaska, very well preserved teeth and tusks are found which have not changed much since the animal died.  This 'fossil ivory' is highly sought for carving or other artistic use.  Similarly, the bones preserved in ice have very little mineralization, and require little special treatment to assure their continued enjoyment.  Unfortunately, access to these frozen beauties has become limited by legislation in their respective countries.

Another source of mammoth fossils are the relatively shallow seas which were dry, or covered by ice, during the ice-ages.  Modern fishing 'trawlers' drag the bottom of these seas in search of bottom-dwelling fish.  From time-to-time, their nets catch bones and teeth which have been submerged since the last ice age.  The fossils generally have a significant degree of mineralization...especially salt.   Special techniques are required to draw as much of the salt out of these fossils as possible.  And, these fossils tend to be somewhat fragile and ill-suited for carving or cutting.

Some mammoth fossils are found in fresh water, especially in Florida.  These fossils tend to be well preserved and somewhat mineralized.  Suitability for carving/cutting varies widely.  And, it would be highly recommended that each specimen be closely examined for any use other than display.

Mammoth fossils are also found in terrestrial locations.  The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota is well worth the trip and admission fee (although none of these fossils are for sale).  Mammoth fossils of terrestrial sites tend to be fragile, mineralization may range from minimal to substantial.  One would have to carefully examine each fossil for use other than display specimens.

Among the more common mammoth fossils are their teeth.  Mammoths (and modern elephants) grow six sets of molars in a typical life-span.  A "spit" tooth is a molar that has been shed in the normal process of an old tooth being worn-out and replaced by a new molar.  Curiously, the molars are constructed of alternating layers of enamel and dentin.  The dentin, being softer, wears more rapidly than the enamel, resulting in a constantly effective grinding surface (vs. a tooth that would have worn 'smooth' if all the same hardness).

The information above is the result of research, conversations, and observations.  And, reflects my opinions and experience.  We hope you will find it helpful.  But please, use this as only a starting-point for your research.

Megalodon Teeth

The giant shark known collectively as Megalodon seems to capture the imagination more than almost any other sea-creature.  The enormous teeth they left behind trigger something in the human imagination.  This leads to any number of assumptions, misunderstandings, preconceptions, and just plain misinformation.  Since we offer these fossils in our store, I thought it appropriate to try to BRIEFLY provide some information, and point the reader to other sources of more detailed information.

1. The Megalodon were VERY LARGE sharks.  This may be intuitively obvious to many.  But, in our store, we routinely hear people assuming that teeth this large must come from dinosaurs.  Much disagreement exists over just how big.  But, it seems safe to conclude they were at least twice as long as the Great White Shark. 
2. Sharks produce many hundreds of teeth in their lifetime.  Therefore, shark teeth are a relatively common fossil.  HOWEVER, other shark fossils, such as bones, are quite rare (due to the cartilaginous skeleton).
3. The lack of articulated fossils (bones preserved in anatomically correct position) requires a very different approach to Paleontology...resulting in multiple opinions on Meg lineage.
4. Much physical evidence DOES exist indicating that Megs fed upon early whales.
5. Physical evidence does NOT exist indicating that Megs are still swimming somewhere.
6. Meg teeth are commonly measured on-the-diagonal.  That is from point to each corner of the root.
7. Size is a major determinate of price.  Each full inch of slant-length marks a significant price-point.  Under 2-inches is considered a pretty common size, with prices increasing significantly at 3, 4 and 5 inches.  Almost any tooth over 6 inches will draw a pretty impressive number of dollars.
8. Condition is the second driver of price.  The best teeth will have a complete tip, little/no chipping, sharp serrations, and complete bourrelet.  A small tooth in extraordinary condition may sell for much more than a larger tooth in average condition.
9. The bulk of Meg teeth are recovered by divers working in pretty scary environments...low visibility, sharks, alligators, etc.

For beginning or intermediate fossil-collectors, a really good article may be found at FossilGuy.com. Also, a more detailed (and more technical) discussion of the various arguments for Meg lineage may be found here.  Regardless of the 'final' decisions on Meg lineage, feeding habits, etc, these teeth remain among the largest, and most impressive, of those readily available to collectors.