Shark Teeth

[Fiwi]

I found these shark teeth on a beach in Georgia today. Any idea what kind of teeth the larger ones are(bottom row & 2nd picture)? The far right looks like part of a tooth, but I'm not sure. TIA for your help! ~Melissa

 

[G.I.B.]

Wow, fantastic hunt. I didn't know Georgia would produce these quality teeth!

Great hunt!

 

[Ninjafossils]

Starting from left:
1. Worn lower tooth- either sand tiger or mako
2. Upper mako
3. Upper great white
4. Worn beyond identification

 

[Perico]

The second picture, second to last is Great White, and last is turtle shell fragment, the one before the Great White is Mako if no serrations. If serrations looks like Great White

 

[Perico]

Sorry Ninjafossils didn't realize you had already answered. I got distracted in the middle of typing.

 

[Harry Pristis]

I am puzzled that you fellows are calling the third tooth "a great white" tooth.

The chances are that this is a small megalodon tooth, not a carcharias tooth. A great white tooth would be a rare find on a Georgia beach, while megalodon teeth are not uncommon.

What is your basis of the ID as a great white tooth?

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[Ninjafossils]

Simple. There is no visible bourlette.

 

[Perico]

I was basing my answer on the root section appearing to being flatter rather than a steeper "v" shape. I am no expert by any means and have learned a lot from you. Is your answer Meg strictly on probability? I do know that there are more Meg teeth out there than Great White. Is there a chance of it being Great White or are you set on Meg. Explain your answer with more detail for my own knowledge.

 

[Fiwi]

Here are closeups of the #3 tooth to help. I am very new to shark tooth collecting and am interested in learning from all of you! Thank you for your help. Going out again this afternoon!

 

[Fiwi]

Here are all the teeth my son and I found yesterday.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Simple. There is no visible bourlette.

Thank you for the close-ups, Fiwi. A lateral view would be more useful in this case. A great white tooth is thin like a mako tooth (they are almost certainly closely related). a megalodon tooth, on the other hand is relatively thick.

Ninjafossils is correct to point out that there is no visible bourlette on your tooth; however, the bourlette might not be visible on a well-worn megalodon tooth. It might be the case here. The more I look at the tooth, the more it does resemble a great white tooth.

But . . . I'd like to see a lateral view. Without reliable diagnostic features, probabilities are the best thing to go on.

Here are a megalodon and a carcharias side by side. While there is a size disparity using the method typically used to measure teeth, the blade length (that is, the enamel including the bourlette) is identical at 1.24 inches at tooth center.

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[Fiwi]

Does this help?

 

[Harry Pristis]

Ninjafossils and Perico were right, and I was wrong to doubt . . . C. carcharias.

 

[Perico]

You are definitely not wrong to doubt. The more opinions we have the better. I learn lots just on the discussions and debates. You brought up some valid points.

 

[Ninjafossils]

Ninjafossils and Perico were right, and I was wrong to doubt . . . C. carcharias.

Eh. That's one right for me, 283,345,326,497 right for you. I still think your a little better.... :P

 

[Fiwi]

Well, many thanks to the 3 of you for working together to help me out. I really appreciate it. No big finds today. Very windy. Didn't come home empty handed though.

 

[GatorBoy]

Nice finds