Description
This unerupted Mammoth tooth belonged to a prehistoric juvenile woolly Mammoth. A Mammoth is any species of extinct genus Mammuthus primigenius commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and , in northern species a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch from around 5 million years ago into the Holocene at about 4,500 years ago. Like their modern relatives (the elephants), Mammoths were quite large. The largest known species reached heights in the region of 4 meters (13ft) at the shoulders and weights up to 8 tons. The woolly mammoth was the last species of the genus. Most populations of the Molly mammoth in North America and Eurasia as well as tall the Columbian Mammoths in North America died out around the time of the last glacial retreat as part of a mass extinction of the megafauna in northern Eurasia and the Americas.
This genuine fossil tooth belonged to a young mammoth and had not yet erupted through the gums during the animal's lifetime. Instead, it remained beneath the gum line, developing in preparation to replace an older, worn tooth.
Mammoths developed six sets of molars throughout their lives, with new teeth gradually moving forward to replace worn ones. Because this tooth never emerged into the mouth, it was never exposed to the grinding and wear associated with chewing vegetation.
This specimen is in great condition with no repair or restoration, it has been professionally sealed and stabilized.
An exceptional example of an ancient Ice Age mammal's dental development.
Size: 4" L x 2.38" W x 4.5"
Provenance: Doggerbank, Netherlands
Age: 30,000 - 60,000
Type: Actual specimen - one only
