Upper teeth are broad, dramatically hooked and coarsely serrated; lowers are narrower with hooked tips.
Without knowing upper versus lower position, this species can score alongside tiger or requiem sharks.
01
IDENTIFICATION TRAITS
What to inspect.
- Crown shape
- Hooked blade or Broad triangle
- Cutting edge
- Coarse serrations
- Side cusplets
- No side cusplets
- Root
- Two distinct root lobes or Wide / nearly flat root
- Reference height
- roughly 12–48 mm, depending on age and jaw position
- Time
- Oligocene–Pleistocene
02
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Form follows feeding.
Strong heterodonty means upper and lower teeth can look like different animals. The upper tooth's exaggerated rear shoulder is a major clue.
03
LOOKALIKES
Do not stop at the first match.
LivingTiger sharkA strongly curved, can-opener profile with a deep outer notch and compound serrations.Compare profile →LivingBull sharkBroad, heavily serrated upper tooth or a narrower lower tooth with finer serrations.Compare profile →ExtinctSqualicoraxCompressed, triangular to oblique blade with strong serrations and a compact two-lobed root.Compare profile →
PRIMARY / AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE
Open source ↗Florida Museum Digital Collections
Use the source alongside collection locality and geologic age. A photograph alone cannot establish provenance.
HAVE A TOOTH TO CHECK?
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