Massive triangular crown, regular serrations, thick root and often a visible bourlette between crown and root.
Large size alone is not enough. Broken roots, juvenile teeth and worn serrations can make megalodon overlap with other otodontids.
01
IDENTIFICATION TRAITS
What to inspect.
- Crown shape
- Broad triangle
- Cutting edge
- Fine serrations or Coarse serrations
- Side cusplets
- No side cusplets
- Root
- Deep V-shaped root or Wide / nearly flat root
- Reference height
- roughly 45–180 mm, depending on age and jaw position
- Time
- Miocene–Pliocene, about 20–3.6 million years ago
02
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Form follows feeding.
Adult teeth are robust and usually lack the side cusplets seen in earlier megatooth sharks. The root is much thicker than on a similarly shaped white-shark tooth.
03
LOOKALIKES
Do not stop at the first match.
LivingGreat white sharkFlat, broad triangular blade with coarse serrations and no lateral cusplets.Compare profile →ExtinctOtodus obliquusLarge smooth triangular main crown with a prominent cusplet on each side and a heavy root.Compare profile →ExtinctBroad-toothed makoBroad, flat triangular crown like a white shark—but with completely smooth cutting edges.Compare profile →
PRIMARY / AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE
Open source ↗Smithsonian Ocean
Use the source alongside collection locality and geologic age. A photograph alone cannot establish provenance.
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