Shape first
Broad cutting triangles, smooth daggers, notched blades, combs and crushing plates separate major tooth designs.
FIELD TOOL / TOOTH ID
What shark
left this tooth?
Upload a photo for side-by-side inspection, then filter the features that matter: crown shape, serrations, cusplets, root and size.
Start identifying ↓PHOTO STAYS ON DEVICERANKED, NOT CERTAINFOSSIL + LIVING TEETHPOSITION-AWARE SIZE ESTIMATE
IDENTIFICATION WORKBENCH
A shortlist you can defend.
A single tooth rarely proves an exact species. The tool ranks morphological candidates and shows conflicts, lookalikes and limits instead of returning one overconfident answer.
01
PHOTO WORKSPACE
Put the tooth under inspection.
Photo-assisted, not fake AI.
The photo is displayed beside the trait guide so you can inspect it. It is not transmitted or automatically classified. Shape, tooth position and edge detail still require your judgment.
For a useful photo
- Place the tooth on a plain background.
- Include a ruler in the same plane.
- Photograph both crown and root straight-on.
- Add a close side view of the cutting edge.
02
OBSERVATION FILTER
Describe what you can actually see.
03 / RANKED CANDIDATES
Add at least two traits.
Shape plus edge type is the best place to start.
Your ranked shortlist will appear here. Color is deliberately not a major filter because fossil color comes from surrounding minerals—not species.
04
HOW TO READ THE RESULT
Confidence comes from combinations.
Edges second
Use magnification. A worn serrated tooth can look smooth; damage can imitate coarse serrations.
Position matters
Upper, lower, front and side teeth from one shark can differ enough to resemble separate species.
Locality breaks ties
Rock age and collection location often distinguish fossil lookalikes better than color does.
05
REFERENCE PROFILES
Learn the common tooth types.
ExtinctMegalodonOtodus megalodonMassive triangular crown, regular serrations, thick root and often a visible bourlette between crown and root.Open profile →LivingGreat white sharkCarcharodon carchariasFlat, broad triangular blade with coarse serrations and no lateral cusplets.Open profile →LivingTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierA strongly curved, can-opener profile with a deep outer notch and compound serrations.Open profile →LivingBull sharkCarcharhinus leucasBroad, heavily serrated upper tooth or a narrower lower tooth with finer serrations.Open profile →LivingSand tiger sharkCarcharias taurusLong, slender smooth-edged cusp with a small cusplet on each side and a two-lobed root.Open profile →LivingShortfin makoIsurus oxyrinchusSlender, smooth-edged crown that often flexes or curves, with no side cusplets.Open profile →LivingGreat hammerheadSphyrna mokarranTriangular, strongly serrated crown that becomes increasingly oblique toward the jaw corners.Open profile →LivingLemon sharkNegaprion brevirostrisNarrow smooth-edged cusp with fine serrations mostly confined to the base on upper teeth.Open profile →LivingOceanic whitetipCarcharhinus longimanusBroad serrated upper tooth paired with a more pointed lower tooth serrated mainly near its tip.Open profile →LivingSandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeusBroad, serrated high-cusped upper teeth; narrower and more finely serrated lowers.Open profile →LivingBroadnose sevengillNotorynchus cepedianusLower teeth form a comb with one tall cusp and a row of progressively smaller cusps.Open profile →LivingNurse sharkGinglymostoma cirratumSmall tooth with a central cusp flanked by several smaller cusplets on a broad base.Open profile →ExtinctSnaggletooth sharkHemipristis serraUpper teeth are broad, dramatically hooked and coarsely serrated; lowers are narrower with hooked tips.Open profile →ExtinctBroad-toothed makoCarcharodon hastalisBroad, flat triangular crown like a white shark—but with completely smooth cutting edges.Open profile →ExtinctOtodus obliquusOtodus obliquusLarge smooth triangular main crown with a prominent cusplet on each side and a heavy root.Open profile →ExtinctSqualicoraxSqualicorax pristodontusCompressed, triangular to oblique blade with strong serrations and a compact two-lobed root.Open profile →ExtinctCretoxyrhinaCretoxyrhina mantelliLarge smooth-edged triangular lamniform tooth with a substantial bilobed root.Open profile →ExtinctPtychodusPtychodus spp.Low, broad crushing crown with ridges or bumps instead of a cutting blade.Open profile →ExtinctHybodusHybodus spp.One central cusp with several smaller lateral cusps arranged on a broad base.Open profile →LivingCommon thresherAlopias vulpinusRelatively small, smooth, compressed blade that becomes oblique in lateral positions.Open profile →
THE ESTIMATE PROBLEM
A tooth is not a tape measure.
Research supports tooth-to-length relationships for some taxa, but the equation depends on species and position. Crown width may be more robust across positions than crown height in some analyses, while filter-feeding giants are obvious exceptions because they have tiny teeth relative to body size.
06
QUICK ANSWERS
Before you call it megalodon.
Can a photo identify a shark tooth automatically?
Not reliably by itself. Wear, breakage, tooth position and convergent shapes create overlap. This tool keeps the photo on your device and uses your observable trait selections to rank candidates.
Does a black shark tooth mean megalodon?
No. Fossil color is controlled largely by minerals in the surrounding sediment. Species identification depends more on shape, serrations, cusplets, root form, size, age and locality.
Can tooth size reveal the shark's length?
Sometimes, but only with a species- and tooth-position-specific relationship. An upper anterior tooth cannot be treated like a lateral or lower tooth.
What should I measure?
Measure total tooth height from the crown tip to the lowest point of the root. Keep the ruler in the same plane as the tooth to avoid perspective error.