Zygorhiza kochii (Archaeocete whale)

SKU
SC1326
In stock
$825.00
Overview

A TOP QUALITY, very rare Archaeocete whale, Zygorhiza kochii. A large molar tooth. The first molar has a small width yoke design. An exceptional brown colored crown and root. Nicely articulated. Huge root. Note - enamel tip shows wear pattern on crown from grinding (see photo 3). Whales do not shed their teeth like the sharks so there teeth will wear with age. This tooth has no repair. A great Archaeocete molar from So. Carolina.  A very rare collector's tooth.  

SC1326        SIZE: 3-1/2"

Note - 14 new Archaeocete whale teeth from So. Carolina added in November 2017. Our largest selection of top quality Archaeocete teeth ever!         Archaeocete Whale catalog link.

A very rare tooth from Zygorhiza kochii, an Archaeocete whale. The Archaeocete is an ancient whale that evolved and became extinct at the end of the Eocene. Archaeocetes lived from about 50 million years ago to about 37 million years ago. The earliest archaeocetes were terrestrial to semi-aquatic animals which probably fed on marine prey. Later archaeocetes were feeding and spending most of their time in the sea, while returning to land to breed and/or give birth. The latest archaeocetes were the first fully aquatic cetaceans. Zygorhiza kochii represents the latter fully aquatic species.  

Please note that all of these Zygorhiza kochii teeth were found in the Santee Limestone Formation from quarries around Harleyville, S.C., and are the finest quality. These teeth are from the Eocene (38 million years ago).