Broad serrated upper tooth paired with a more pointed lower tooth serrated mainly near its tip.
Florida Museum specifically notes that teeth are easily confused with bull and dusky sharks.
01
IDENTIFICATION TRAITS
What to inspect.
- Crown shape
- Broad triangle or Narrow dagger
- Cutting edge
- Coarse serrations or Fine serrations
- Side cusplets
- No side cusplets
- Root
- Wide / nearly flat root or Two distinct root lobes
- Reference height
- roughly 10–36 mm, depending on age and jaw position
- Time
- Living; fossil teeth also occur
02
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Form follows feeding.
The upper/lower contrast is useful when multiple associated teeth are available.
03
LOOKALIKES
Do not stop at the first match.
LivingBull sharkBroad, heavily serrated upper tooth or a narrower lower tooth with finer serrations.Compare profile →LivingSandbar sharkBroad, serrated high-cusped upper teeth; narrower and more finely serrated lowers.Compare profile →RELATED FORMDusky sharkUse locality, age and associated teeth to separate this lookalike.
PRIMARY / AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE
Open source ↗Florida Museum
Use the source alongside collection locality and geologic age. A photograph alone cannot establish provenance.
HAVE A TOOTH TO CHECK?
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