African Elephant Tooth Shed 1 Replica

Description

African elephant tooth shed 1 replica measures 5.5″L x 2.8″W x 1.5″H. African elephant tooth shed 1 replica is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast of original specimen. Made in USA.

African elephant or Loxodonta africana have a grey folded and up to 1.2 in. thick skin that is covered with sparse bristled dark-brown to black hair. Short tactile hair grows on the trunk, which has two finger-like processes on the tip.

African elephant tooth replica Key Dental Facts

• Replacement Cycle: Teeth do not emerge vertically like humans; instead, they grow from the back, pushing forward.
• Molar Lifetime: An elephant has 6 sets of molars, with the final set typically appearing around age 30.
• Tooth Structure: African elephant molars have characteristic diamond-shaped enamel ridges.
• Weight & Size: A single molar can measure about 30 cm (12 in) long and weigh approximately 5 kg (11 lbs).
• Tusks: Both male and female African elephants have tusks, which are modified incisors that grow continuously.
• Cause of Death: Because the last set of molars wears down, starvation or malnutrition due to tooth loss is a leading cause of death elephants.
  

  Dental Development Phases for African elephants tooth replica

• Birth: Four small developing molars.
• ~2 years: First set of teeth fall out.
• ~4–6 years: Second set falls out.
• ~9–15 years: Third set falls out.
• ~18–28 years: Fourth set falls out.
• Early 40s: Fifth set falls out.
• Final Set: The sixth set must last the rest of their life.

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Proboscidea
• Family: Elephantidae
• Genus: Loxodonta Anonymous, 1827
• Type species: Elephas africana Blumenbach, 1797
• Temporal range: Late Miocene Present, 7–0 Ma

To understand the full scale of elephant dentition, researchers can compare this shed fragment with a complete African elephant upper right molar. This allows for a direct comparison between naturally worn dental fragments and the robust, ridged surface of a fully intact adult molar.