Large smooth-edged triangular lamniform tooth with a substantial bilobed root.
Geologic age and collection locality are important for separating it from broad-toothed mako teeth.
01
ORIGINAL VISUAL PLATE
Front, edge and jaw position.
02
IDENTIFICATION TRAITS
What to inspect.
- Crown shape
- Broad triangle or Narrow dagger
- Cutting edge
- Smooth edge
- Side cusplets
- No side cusplets
- Root
- Deep V-shaped root or Two distinct root lobes
- Reference tooth height
- About 18–65 mm, depending on age and jaw position
- Jaw variation
- Tall smooth anterior teeth transition to broader smooth laterals.
03
ECOLOGY + SCALE
The shark behind the tooth.
- Habitat
- Late Cretaceous epicontinental and offshore seas.
- Diet
- Large fishes and marine reptiles inferred from associated evidence.
- Estimated shark size
- Commonly reconstructed around 6–7 m (20–23 ft), with model uncertainty.
- Bite force
- Not directly measurable.
- Fossil occurrence
- Late Cretaceous teeth and occasional associated skeletons are known.
- Time range
- Late Cretaceous
04
FUNCTION
Form follows feeding.
Anterior teeth are taller and narrower; lateral teeth broaden. The cutting edges remain unserrated.
05
LOOKALIKES
Do not stop at the first match.
ExtinctBroad-toothed makoBroad, flat triangular crown like a white shark—but with completely smooth cutting edges.Compare visual profile →LivingShortfin makoSlender, smooth-edged crown that often flexes or curves, with no side cusplets.Compare visual profile →RELATED FORMOther Cretaceous lamniformsUse jaw position, locality, age and associated teeth to test this lookalike.
06
DIRECT COMPARISONS
Put it beside its closest rival.
AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE
Open source ↗Smithsonian NMNH
The visual plate is original TuffShark artwork and is not copied from the reference. Use the source alongside formation age, locality and associated material.
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