Compressed, triangular to oblique blade with strong serrations and a compact two-lobed root.
Local rock age is often more diagnostic than the outline alone because similar tooth shapes evolved repeatedly.
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 10–42 mm, depending on age and jaw position
- Time
- Late Cretaceous
02
WHY IT LOOKS THIS WAY
Form follows feeding.
Many teeth have a crow-shark outline reminiscent of a small modern tiger or requiem-shark tooth.
03
LOOKALIKES
Do not stop at the first match.
ExtinctSnaggletooth sharkUpper teeth are broad, dramatically hooked and coarsely serrated; lowers are narrower with hooked tips.Compare profile →LivingTiger sharkA strongly curved, can-opener profile with a deep outer notch and compound serrations.Compare profile →RELATED FORMRequiem sharksUse locality, age and associated teeth to separate this lookalike.
PRIMARY / AUTHORITATIVE REFERENCE
Open source ↗Paleobiology Database
Use the source alongside collection locality and geologic age. A photograph alone cannot establish provenance.
HAVE A TOOTH TO CHECK?
Start a ranked identification →