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Hello, I have another tooth from my collection that I am not sure about. For me it first looked like a very clear case. The shape of the tooth clearly indicates the snaggletooth shark (Hemipristis elongata). I was 100% certain with the ID, the teeth are almost unmistakable. The only flaw: The tooth was found on the coastline of the Atlantic between Florida and Virginia (unfortunately I don't know the exact location). Over 10.000km far from the distribution area of this shark. My question to you: is my ID correct? And if so, how can something like this happen? I hope you can help me. The tooth measures 15mm in leght. Best regards from Germany and stay healthy in this time!

Sharks belong to the superorder Selachimorpha in the subclass Elasmobranchii, in the class Chondrichthyes. Listed below are the nine orders of extant sharks. I really believe that to be able to successfully understand and identify fossil shark teeth you need to understand and be very familiar with extant shark teeth. As a result, I’m in the process of acquiring a good number of extant shark jaws which I intend to study and photograph. I’m not trying to acquire the very large grade A type specimens (Wow they cost a lot) but study quality specimens. If you clique on a link you will see a TFF post on the jaw of the indicated species. As I add new jaw posts, I’ll update this list. I’ve included this structure so you can see where each species fits within the Chondrichthyes hierarchy. I hope to be able to add several new jaws per month. These extant jaws can also be found on my family fossil website http://phatfossils.com/ under Extant-References. Cow and frilled sharks ORDER HEXANCHIFORMES Family Hexanchidae (Cow sharks) Genus Heptranchias Rafinesque, 1810 Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Sharpnose sevengill shark) http://www.thefossil...-cow-shark-jaw/ Genus Hexanchus Rafinesque 1810 Hexanchus nakamurai Teng 1962 (Bigeyed sixgill shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/90772-extant-hexanchus-nakamurai-bigeye-sixgill-shark/ Bramble sharks ORDER ECHINORHINIFORMES Family Echinorhinidae (Bramble sharks) Genus Echinorhinus T. N. Gill, 1862 Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre, 1788} (Bramble Shark) jaw http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/90660-extant-echinorhinus-brucus-bramble-shark-jaw/ Dogfish sharks ORDER SQUALIFORMES Family Centrophoridae (Gulper sharks) Genus Centrophorus J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 Centrophorus granulosus (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801) (Gulper shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/60590-extant-centrophorus-granulosus-gulper-shark-jaws/ Sawsharks ORDER PRISTIOPHORIFORMES Family Pristiophoridae (Sawsharks) Genus Pristiophorus J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 Pristiophorus cirratus (Latham, 1794) (Longnose sawshark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/63013-extant-pristiophorus-cirratus-longnose-sawshark-jaw-and-rostrum/?p=659372 Angel sharks ORDER SQUATINIFORMES Family Squatinidae (Angel sharks) Genus Squatina A. M. C. Duméril, 1806 Squatina nebulosa Regan, 1906 (Clouded angelshark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/60499-extant-squatina-nebulosi-clouded-angelshark-jaw/?p=644494 Bullhead sharks ORDER HETERODONTIFORMES Family Heterodontidae (Bullhead sharks) Genus Heterodontus Blainville, 1816 Heterodontus zebra J. E. Gray 1831 (Zebra bullhead shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/90623-extant-heterodontus-zebra-zebra-bullhead-shark-taxidermy-specimen-and-jaw/ Mackerel sharks ORDER LAMNIFORMES Family Alopiidae (Thresher sharks) Genus Alopias Rafinesque, 1810 Alopias superciliosus R. T. Lowe, 1841 (Bigeye thresher shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/61017-extant-alopias-superciliosus-bigeye-thresher-shark-jaw/ Family Lamnidae (Mackerel sharks) Genus Carcharodon A. Smith, 1838 Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (Great white shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/64118-extant-carcharodon-carcharias-great-white-shark-jaw/#entry670899 Genus Isurus Rafinesque, 1810 Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Shortfin mako) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/59995-extant-isurus-oxyrinchus-mako-shortfin-shark-jaw/ Family Odontaspididae (Sandtiger sharks) Genus Carcharias Rafinesque, 1810 Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 (Sandtiger shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/90835-extant-carcharias-taurus-sandtiger-shark-jaw/ Carpet sharks ORDER ORECTOLOBIFORMES Family Hemiscylliidae (Bamboo sharks) Genus Chiloscyllium J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 Chiloscyllium punctatum J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 (Brown-banded bamboo shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/60730-extant-chiloscyllium-punctatum-brownbanded-bamboo-shark-jaws/ Ground sharks ORDER CARCHARHINIFORMES Family Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks) Genus Carcharhinus Blainville, 1816 Carcharhinus falciformis (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) (Silky shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/60143-extant-carcharhinus-falciformis-silky-shark-jaw/ Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur, 1818) (Dusky shark) http://www.thefossil...usky-shark-jaw Genus Galeocerdo J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 Galeocerdo cuvier (Péron & Lesueur, 1822) (Tiger shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/61241-extant-galeocerdo-cuvier-tiger-shark-jaw/?p=652866 Family Hemigaleidae (Weasel sharks) Genus Hemipristis Agassiz, 1843 Hemipristis elongata (Klunzinger, 1871) (Snaggletooth shark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/61407-extant-hemipristis-elongatus-snaggletooth-shark-jaw/?p=654410 Family Scyliorhinidae (Catsharks) Genus Atelomycterus Garman, 1913 Atelomycterus marmoratus (Anonymous, referred to E. T. Bennett, 1830) (Coral catshark) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/61194-extant-atelomycterus-marmoratus-coral-catshark-jaws/ Family Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead sharks) Genus Sphyrna Rafinesque, 1810 Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837) (Great hammerhead) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/64506-extant-sphyrna-mokarran-great-hammerhead-shark-jaw/?p=674826 Family Triakidae (Houndsharks) Genus Hemitriakis Herre, 1923 Hemitriakis japanica (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) (Japanese topeshark) http://www.thefossil...tope-shark-jaw/ Genus Mustelus H. F. Linck, 1790 Mustelus asterias Cloquet, 1821 (Starry smooth-hound) http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/64566-extant-mustelus-asterias-starry-smooth-hound-shark-jaw-and-fins/?p=675455 I have also posted common and uncommon extant shark teeth at the below links: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/83847-rhincodon-whale-shark-and-cetorhinus-basking-shark-extant-and-fossil-teeth/&tab=comments#comment-902499 http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/84144-some-uncommon-extant-shark-teeth-2/&tab=comments#comment-899269 http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/83808-some-uncommon-extant-shark-teeth/&tab=comments#comment-894590 Marco Sr.