Large smooth triangular main crown with a prominent cusplet on each side and a heavy root.
Later transitional otodontids may develop serrations or reduce cusplets, making lineage-level ID safer.
01
ORIGINAL VISUAL PLATE
Front, edge and jaw position.
02
IDENTIFICATION TRAITS
What to inspect.
- Crown shape
- Broad triangle
- Cutting edge
- Smooth edge
- Side cusplets
- One on each side
- Root
- Deep V-shaped root or Wide / nearly flat root
- Reference tooth height
- About 25–100 mm, depending on age and jaw position
- Jaw variation
- Anterior teeth are tall and symmetrical; lateral teeth broaden and lean.
03
ECOLOGY + SCALE
The shark behind the tooth.
- Habitat
- Paleocene–Eocene warm marine shelves and open seas.
- Diet
- Large fishes and marine vertebrates inferred.
- Estimated shark size
- Often estimated at roughly 8–10 m (26–33 ft), but complete bodies are unknown.
- Bite force
- Not directly measurable and not safely inferred from tooth size alone.
- Fossil occurrence
- Widespread Paleocene–Eocene teeth, commonly with paired cusplets.
- Time range
- Paleocene–Eocene
04
FUNCTION
Form follows feeding.
It resembles an early version of the megatooth design. The paired side cusplets separate it from adult megalodon.
05
LOOKALIKES
Do not stop at the first match.
ExtinctMegalodonMassive triangular crown, regular serrations, thick root and often a visible bourlette between crown and root.Compare visual profile →LivingSand tiger sharkLong, slender smooth-edged cusp with a small cusplet on each side and a two-lobed root.Compare visual profile →RELATED FORMOther otodontidsUse jaw position, locality, age and associated teeth to test this lookalike.
06
DIRECT COMPARISONS
Put it beside its closest rival.
AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE
Open source ↗Paleobiology Database
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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