Rock Identifier
Fossilized Mammoth Tooth Fragment (Mammuthus primigenius (or Mammuthus sp.)) — fossil
fossil

Fossilized Mammoth Tooth Fragment

Mammuthus primigenius (or Mammuthus sp.)

Hardness: around 5 on Mohs scale (permineralized enamel/dentine). Color: dark brown to black, charcoal gray. Luster: dull to vitreous on worn enamel ridges. Structure: distinct parallel, wavy enamel plates/ridges with cementum layer.

Hardness
around 5 on Mohs scale (permineralized enamel/dentine)
Color
dark brown to black, charcoal gray
Luster
dull to vitreous on worn enamel ridges
Identified More fossil
Explore Fossilized Mammoth Tooth Fragment in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

Physical properties

Hardness: around 5 on Mohs scale (permineralized enamel/dentine). Color: dark brown to black, charcoal gray. Luster: dull to vitreous on worn enamel ridges. Structure: distinct parallel, wavy enamel plates/ridges with cementum layer.

Formation & geological history

Formed during the Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age, roughly 10,000 to 2.5 million years ago). Created as organic tooth materials (enamel, dentine, cementum) were permineralized by groundwater minerals over thousands of years.

Uses & applications

Highly valued for fossil collections, educational displays, museum exhibits, and occasionally crafted into custom knife handles, jewelry, or carvings.

Geological facts

Mammoths grew up to six sets of teeth over their lifetime as the previous ones wore down and dropped out. The distinctive wavy, plate-like pattern of enamel allows them to be easily distinguished from mastodon teeth, which have pointed cusps.

Field identification & locations

Look for the characteristic alternating ridges of hard enamel and softer dentine/cementum. Commonly found in river deposits, ocean beaches (like Peace River in Florida or North Sea dredge sites), and frozen permafrost regions (Siberia, Alaska).