Skulls, Skeletons, Canines & Claws

[GrizzlyClaws]

(03-20-2019, 09:47 PM)tigerluver Wrote: So looks like we've caught tampering at the minimum and at the worst a counterfeit. 

To summarize the red flags:
1. The color. Javanese fossils are generally not a polished black. River fossils can get this texture but the rivers of Java are sand-based, thus we get a brown color like in the Ngandong tiger. In the Stegodon teeth I've seen to be claimed from Java that are glazed black, there are still a lot of reddish-rusty hues.
2. The ridge at the crown-root junction is not the usual, especially in tigers.
3. The texture of the root is unusual. While there is a texture difference between the crown and root, here it looks too different.
4. Note the inner curve of the canine (posterior side). The tooth almost pinches off and flattens, which is quite unusual. Almost like plastic or resin. Around this same line where the material pinches and flatten it almost (or simply) looks like there's a seam (especially in the first photo with the canines in the seller's hand).
5. Finding a pair of lower canines without any other remains is just next to impossible in terms of probability. For both canines to fall out then be found in the same place thousands of years later too many things would need to fall into place.

Overall the pieces look too polished (as @phatio mentioned) or even resin/plastic.

Here is a Ngandong tiger upper canine tooth from another private collector, and I guess it practically matches your description of being polished black, but also it should be found at the bottom of the river with some brownish hue.


I guess those skilled collectors knew how to properly break the canine teeth off its jaw without creating any fissure.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Reply