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Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

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Figure 3 : The incisors and canines <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hippopotamus: lower canine (C1), upper canine<br />

(C 1 ), large lower incisor (I1), small lower incisor (I2), and upper incisor (I 1 )<br />

(Krzyszkowska 1990: 39, figure 14).<br />

potential upper limit <strong>of</strong> 70 cm due to a maximum 40 cm length root (Eltringham 1999:<br />

14). Curving and with a triangular cross-section, <strong>the</strong> lower canine has three faces <strong>of</strong><br />

different lengths (see Figure 4). The longest faces (A and B in Figure 4) are covered in a<br />

very hard (6-7 Mohs) ridged enamel and separated by a natural fracture (ii in Figure 4).<br />

The third side (C) faces towards <strong>the</strong> mouth and is protected only by cementum. The<br />

lower canine has a pulp cavity in <strong>the</strong> proximal end and visible wear on <strong>the</strong> distal end due<br />

to grinding against <strong>the</strong> upper canine (Krzyszkowska 1990: 42-43).<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> basic morphology, ano<strong>the</strong>r means by which to identify <strong>the</strong> lower<br />

canine <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hippopotamus is through recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lamellae patterns and several<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r extremely diagnostic features. The transverse cross-section exhibits wavy and<br />

discontinuous sub-triangular lamellae, in addition to a “commissure” in <strong>the</strong> center where<br />

<strong>the</strong> pulp cavity once was. Towards <strong>the</strong> proximal end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower canine, where <strong>the</strong> pulp<br />

cavity has yet to close up, <strong>the</strong> commissure looks like an angled crack. The pulp cavity, as<br />

16

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