LM3-027 - NORTH AMERICAN GIANT SLOTH MEGALONYX MOLAR TOOTH FOSSIL

Product Description

ITEM # 

LM3-027

ID

Megalonyx jeffersoni 

FOUND

Suwannee River - Florida, U.S.A.

AGE

PLEISTOCENE:  120,000 - 10,000 years

SIZE

2" in length

CONDITION

NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION

NOTE

TOP-SHELF FOSSIL TOOTH!

Actual Item - One Only

Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet

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This TOP-grade molar tooth is from the giant ground sloth species  Megalonyx jeffersoni.  This is an uncommon fossil tooth from one of North America's bizarre creatures of the last Ice Age and it is seldom seen in typical private collections.  The tooth is in pristine condition - 100% complete unbroken, museum quality specimen.  The entire tooth is well preserved with a complete chewing surface and lacking typical pitting and erosion of common examples found.  The hollow root portion is even still attached.  Lustrous surface is NOT from varnish or polishing but by the natural polishing of the river currents.  The color is very beautiful rich mix of dark black and browns.  Guaranteed NO REPAIR and NO RESTORATION.  This finest grade tooth is  AS FOUND!

The genus Megalonyx (means "large claw") was labeled as such by President Thomas Jefferson. President Jefferson's creation of this genus represents an interesting historical event as it was one of the first records of early paleontology in North America.  It was originally believed that the large claw discovered and assigned to this group was from a giant carnivore.  Later, it was recognized to be xenarthran in its design.  There were four Megalonyx species that emerged in Florida starting in the Early Pliocene.  As each successive species emerged, they became increasingly larger in body size:  Megalonyx curvidens,  Megalonyx leptostomus, Megalonyx wheatleyi and finally Megalonyx jeffersoni which grew to the size of a black bear.  This was the only family (the Megalonychids) of giant sloths that did not walk on the sides of their feet like the other types.  The teeth of Megalonychids are oval to sub-rectangular.  Their claws are sharp, curved and laterally compressed.