fossil

Fossilized mammoth molar fragment

Proboscidean molar enamel and dentine, commonly Mammuthus spp.

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Dark brown-gray, dense and ridged, with alternating enamel plates and worn dentine; enamel hardness is about Mohs 5–6, while dentine is softer. The vertical banding and curved plate structure are characteristic of a mammoth or mastodon tooth fragment rather than a mineral crystal.

Identified September 6, 2026More fossil →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

A tooth formed biologically, then became buried and mineralized through groundwater replacement during the Pleistocene, roughly 2.6 million–11,700 years ago. Common in Ice Age sediments, river gravels, permafrost, and coastal deposits.

Uses & applications

Primarily a collectible and educational fossil; intact teeth and polished sections are used for display. It has little industrial use in fragmentary form.

Geological facts

Mammoth molars contained many enamel plates adapted for grinding tough grasses. The specimen appears to show worn enamel ridges and dentine, though species-level identification requires the whole tooth and locality data.

Field identification & locations

Identify by repeated vertical enamel ridges, contrasting hard glossy enamel and softer porous dentine, and an organic tooth-like curvature; ordinary rocks usually lack this patterned architecture. Common sources include Siberia, Alaska, Yukon, and North American gravel deposits.