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help identify this mystery tooth


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To any zoology & biology gurus or anyone else who's interested:

 

I am in possession of a canine tooth which was gifted to me while living in Honduras 16 years ago. I have always wondered what type of animal it came from. See attached images. It is 3-1/4" (82mm) long x 1/4" (7mm) diameter. I would be guessing that it came from either a cat-like carnivore or possibly monkey or even a tapir. Let me know what your thoughts are.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

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Tapirs, or any perissodactyl, wouldn't have sharp canines. Virtually all of them that I know of have molariform canines or no canines at all. Honestly it looks more like a piece of an antler to me. The shape of it seems a bit too long and thin. Look at pictures of canine teeth and you should see they are much thicker at that length. Also, being so straight with that much of a curve at the end looks more like antler growth that tooth growth.

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To any zoology & biology gurus or anyone else who's interested:

 

 

 

I was the third option, But reminded me of a weird deer i had seen,

 

 

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saber-toothed deer. The thought is so strange and terrifying that one might be tempted to dismiss it as fantasy. In fact, several species of ungulate known as “musk deer”, native to Eurasia, possess massive fangs, which develop from outgrowths of the canine tooth.

Musk deer fangs extend several inches past their lower jaw. Unlike the infamous cats of the distant past, musk deer go to battle against other males with their canine sabers, sinking them into each other during mating disputes. The creatures are genetically distinct from true deer (cervids), and are named after the powerful scent they produce to mark their territory.

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I was the third option, But reminded me of a weird deer i had seen,

 

saber-toothed deer. The thought is so strange and terrifying that one might be tempted to dismiss it as fantasy. In fact, several species of ungulate known as “musk deer”, native to Eurasia, possess massive fangs, which develop from outgrowths of the canine tooth.

Musk deer fangs extend several inches past their lower jaw. Unlike the infamous cats of the distant past, musk deer go to battle against other males with their canine sabers, sinking them into each other during mating disputes. The creatures are genetically distinct from true deer (cervids), and are named after the powerful scent they produce to mark their territory.

You just blew my mind. I have never seen nor heard of these.

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