Comments on: Mystery Tusk: Not A Circus Elephant

By: NCRYPTID

NCRYPTID — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:47:27 +0000

Wow, what I wouldn’t give to be in his shoes! And to think, I get really excited when I find an old seashell or cool stone at the beach. I totally agree with his wife’s comments!

Nice article, thanks!

By: dogu4

dogu4 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:56:20 +0000

To determine if this is from a mammoth one would cut a section across its axis and examine the angle that the Shreger lines (cross hatched or stacked chevron patterns that result from the pattern of deposition for dentin and cementum which comprises the tusk’s original material) that one can see when the section is properly prepared (polished). Additionally, if it is walrus (it’s hard to tell from the photos, and there are really big Walrus tusks out there) the interior region of the ivory would display an “oatmeal” pattern when observed. I’m unfamiliar with the diagnostic criteria for mastodonts but samples I have seen display a similar kind of concentric structure in cross section. No doubt a competent vertebrate zoologist with experience in pleistocene animals would be able to reference other samples to more finely determine its origins. It’s fascinating because it underscores just how widespread these creatures, both proboscids and walrus, were not all that long ago. It’d be great to see ‘em back in their old stompin’ grounds.

By: oldbutnotstupid

oldbutnotstupid — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:29:38 +0000

My guess is Walrus, possibly from the old mating grounds on Sable Island. Too straight looking for either Mammoth or Mastodon. Is DNA a possibility?

By: Tengu

Tengu — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:15:55 +0000

Things like this are commonly dredged up from the North Sea.

Our local museum has a mammoth tusk from the gravel pits.

They are fairly common.

Of course in GB its likely to be a common-or-garden wooly (or a straight tusked elephant if you are in an interglacial) we don’t have the variety of species to ponder on.

By: busterggi

busterggi — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:39:27 +0000

Makes me want to take a walk on the beach at low tide sometime. I know some fossil crustaceans have been found along the shore of West Haven.

By: steveg3474

steveg3474 — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 16:34:22 +0000

Just an interesting thought here. Has anyone heard anything about the mammoth DNA they were extracting from frozen mammoths from Siberia? I heard they were thinking of doing some cloning.

By: Mysteriousness

Mysteriousness — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 16:27:00 +0000

Great article Loren! Also excited to see an article from the “Sub-Standard Times” - the periodical of choice from my neck of the woods. There is a lot of really interesting whaling and scalloping history in New Bedford and there are a lot of good stories about mysterious things found out at sea.

By: Raptorial

Raptorial — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:27:31 +0000

I really love the Pleistocene. The one thing I’m really hoping for is a new megalania fossil from Australia.

By: swnoel

swnoel — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:18:49 +0000

Here’s another interesting article.

By: swnoel

swnoel — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:12:59 +0000

If my memory serves me correctly…

A mammoth molar was found in a net off Hampton Beach a few years back.

Here’s an interesting article about New Hampshire’s sunken forest.