The holy grail of tooth hunting?

[Mmm Scuba]

My wife and I found this tooth while sifting in the surf at Venice beach a few years ago when we were just starting out collecting fossils. We immediately suspected it could be human, but had no idea what to do with it. We stashed it away with all the other fossils we couldn't identify and pretty much forgot about it.

Recently my wife found a really nice mastodon molar and took it to show a friend who is a paleontology professor. She also took some interesting but unidentified items to see what he thought. He's quite certain this is a human premolar. She also showed it to a dentist who was also certain it's human.

So we figured we should report it to someone. I emailed the pics to Florida Museum of Natural History. The reply was a little vague other than that we should report it to the police. So we called the police and sent photos. They were interested but didn't seem too concerned that it was linked to any kind of crime since it's probably at least a few hundred years old.

So the question is; now what do I do with it.

The police don't want it. The museum didn't seem to want it. I'm not even sure what the law exactly is about a fossil human tooth found in the gulf. Can I legally keep it? Should I? It seems a shame to just chuck it back in the gulf. Is there a museum or school I should contact? What do think?

 

[Walter]

I doubt it's a fossil.

 

[DCBC]

Perhaps you could put it under your pillow...

 

[mikerault]

I don't think the Indian wants it back...use it as a conversation starter. About 50 years ago my Uncle was digging a Goose hunting blind in a corn field in Iowa and came up with an entire skull, same thing, they said it was a couple of hundred years old and nobody was interested. He had it on his bookcase for a while then he reburied back in the field.

MIke

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Before or after one of his kids disappeared into the TV set? As for the tooth put it in a necklace. If anyone asks tell em it's all that left of the guy who kept asking you stupid questions.

 

[sea2summit]

In northwestern canada there is a bar that serves its shots with frostbitten toes left over from the gold rush...perhaps venice beach needs a new bar???

 

[Fossilbabe]

Looks like a modern pig tooth. Crabber use a lot of pigs for the crab traps... Hope this helps. ~~~Fossil babe~~~~

 

[OMFSDiver]

From the pictures the tooth looks to be a human maxillary premolar. The enamel on the crown has not be degraded. (It is the hardest substance in the body) The root of the tooth is covered by cementum which appears to be worn. (Probably from a long time in the water)
It looks like someone lost this tooth some time ago atraumatically. Most teeth lost by trauma in the posterior mouth are fractured and not whole. Sorry no fossil.
I have a lot of experience with dental trauma and teeth as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.

 

[krawdady]

Just keep it and enjoy the conversational value that it has. I think it's admirable to offer it up to science but they would probably just stick it in a drawer somewhere. I know a lot of people would disagree with me but if you can pull that gross thing out after a couple of whisky's amongst friends and tell the story of how you found it then that in my opinion is much more enjoyable than giving to to some grad student to scrape the enamel off of it and try to figure out how old it is.

 

[krawdady]

By the way Fossilbabe, I want so badly for you to be wrong on this one. Let us have a little fun.