TOOTH PROFILE / LIVING

Sand tiger sharktooth guide

Long, slender smooth-edged cusp with a small cusplet on each side and a two-lobed root.

LivingCarcharias taurusLiving; fossil teeth are common
FIELD VERDICT

Long, slender smooth-edged cusp with a small cusplet on each side and a two-lobed root.

Many extinct sand-tiger relatives look extremely similar and are difficult to separate without age and locality.

01

IDENTIFICATION TRAITS

What to inspect.

Crown shape
Narrow dagger
Cutting edge
Smooth edge
Side cusplets
One on each side
Root
Two distinct root lobes or Rounded U-shaped root
Reference height
roughly 1248 mm, depending on age and jaw position
Time
Living; fossil teeth are common
02

WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY

Form follows feeding.

Anterior teeth look needle-like. Lateral teeth become shorter, but the smooth main cusp and paired side cusplets remain useful clues.

03

LOOKALIKES

Do not stop at the first match.

RELATED FORMGoblin sharkUse locality, age and associated teeth to separate this lookalike.
ExtinctOtodus obliquusLarge smooth triangular main crown with a prominent cusplet on each side and a heavy root.Compare profile →
RELATED FORMSmall lamniform sharksUse locality, age and associated teeth to separate this lookalike.
PRIMARY / AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE

Florida Museum

Use the source alongside collection locality and geologic age. A photograph alone cannot establish provenance.

Open source ↗
HAVE A TOOTH TO CHECK?

Put these traits into the identifier.

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