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This was found at Calvert Cliffs in Maryland. I’m not sure if it’s a super worn down tooth or something else.

Here is a brief report from one of our latest forays into Calvert County, MD. The well-known stretch of shoreline along the western Chesapeake Bay is loaded with Miocene fossils, with the Calvert, St. Mary's, and Choptank formations progressively exposed along a ~24 mile stretch of beach and cliffs. We found an Airbnb in Lusby, MD which was not too far from Matoaka Lodges, which seemed the best bet since the nearly 2 mile walk to the beaches at Calvert Cliffs State Park is impractical for our family at this time. Covid-19 and Maryland's onerous private land regulations can make it tough if not impossible to access some of the other municipal beaches along the coast. For example, Brownies Beach, Dares Beach, Cove Point, and Flag Pond are all restricted in some way to town or county residents only. Matoaka Lodges however will grant day-pass access for a small fee, and the beach is from my experience very diverse and productive in its fossils. We spent a total of 5 hours there, employing an 1/8" sieve and also simply walking the surf line. The largest tooth pictured here actually washed up at my feet as I was surreptitiously bending over at the same time. Most of the rest were found with the sieve. Most of these are shark or sting ray teeth and a few turtle shells plus some of the smaller items I could not identify. A local told me that porpoise teeth can be found there also. This lot comprises the smallest fossils found; in addition to these (mostly) teeth and shell fragments were found a large and diverse sample of vertebrate fragments, corals, miscellaneous other fossils (snails, mollusks, etc.) which I will post in the follow-up report to this one. Having spent some time at some of the other sites along Calvert Cliffs this summer, I would say based on the diversity, number of fossils, and time spent collecting, that Matoaka is definitely worth the return trip.

For years I’ve had my macro fossils in drawers and my micro fossils in gem jar displays. Recently I’ve started putting some of my macro fossils in 8”X12” Riker mounts. Below are the Riker mounts that I now have. I’ll probably put together at least twenty of these. Below are two Riker mount displays with specimens from the Paleocene Aquia Formation from the Potomac River in the Liverpool Point, Maryland area. This display contains in the top crocodile vertebrae, a couple of crocodile leg bones, and two crocodile coprolites. I have larger crocodile vertebrae but they are too large for these Riker mount displays. Then a row of crocodile teeth (for size reference the largest partially rooted tooth is 2”). I have over 200 crocodile teeth from the area but the vast majority are fairly small. Then on the bottom there are turtle shell pieces and a crocodile scute. This display contains in the top ray dental plates and a ray barb. I have a lot of very nice very small ray dental plates but the larger ones tend to be damaged/beat up. Ray barbs are not really that common from the area. The middle has a few Otodus obliquus teeth and a partial vertebra. The day I found that partial vertebra, a person that I took to the site for the first time, found a complete, perfect one of the same size. For size reference, the anterior O. obliquus tooth is just less than 3”. I have over 700 O. obliquus teeth from the area but the vast majority are water worn and/or have damaged root lobes, cusplets, tips etc. I believe that these sharks ate a lot of turtles which took a toll on the teeth. At the bottom are a couple of chimaera mouth plates and a fin spine. I have at least 110 smaller chimaera mouth plates in my gem jar displays. The next two Riker mount displays contain specimens from the Eocene Nanjemoy Formation of Virginia. I posted one of these awhile back here on TFF but I’ve rearranged it as I’m now putting more of my specimens in Riker mounts. This display contains on top a few of the larger coprolites that I still have from the Nanjemoy Formation. I’ve already donated over 20,000 of these to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. I’ve accumulated another 30,000 since my last donation in 2015. Then there is a row of sand tiger teeth two inches and larger. Then there is a row with additional sand tiger teeth and two Otodus obliquus. O. obliquus are not common at all from the area. I’ve only found five in over 165 trips to various sites in the area. Then there are two sawfish rostral spines/teeth and a sawfish vertebra, and a ray mouthplate and medial tooth with several ray partial barbs. On the bottom are three associated fish vertebrae, a small fish jaw, fish spine, and then two fish teeth. This display is a work in progress. I’m putting some of my larger reptile specimens in it. The bottom rows have two turtle lower jaws, turtle shell and a turtle bone. I have lots of other turtle shell pieces so what’s in this display is only a representative sample of what I have collected from the area. The next row contains sea snake vertebrae. I have over 100 of these so I’ll add a few more to this display. My largest, 1.5“ thick won’t fit in this display. At the top are three rooted crocodile teeth, a partial crocodile scute and a small crocodile vertebra. At some point in the future I will post more of these Riker mounts as I finish them. I’m also thinking of putting together a number of artificial shark tooth dentitions and mounting them in Riker mount displays I have several hundred thousand shark teeth from the Nanjemoy so I should have most of the positions for a number of different shark dentitions. Marco Sr.

I thought at first it might have been a small lower hemi but the more I looked at pictures, it also looked like it could be a symphyseal tooth. It is hard to see in the pictures but there are faint serrations on the tooth closer to the root. This was found near the Scientist Cliffs area of Calvert Cliffs. Thank you in advance!

Found this skull in a cliff in southern Maryland. Was dug out of grey clay in small cliff. Looks to be a Boar skull? Any ideas to the age?Miocene?

I have been looking into Maryland fossil sites, and am trying to plan a day trip, but I realize it is Labor day weekend, which can complicate things. How busy do the usual fossil beaches get in Maryland? I currently have Purse, Matoaka, and Calvert Cliffs on my list Should I just wait til next weekend? When is the best time to hit the beaches? I am especially looking for a Ecphora gardnerae, if there are any sites which would be better to focus my search at? Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

I've had this weekend marked on my calendar for a few weeks to take advantage of favorable projected tides by going shark tooth hunting at Matoaka! The remnants of Hurricane Sally scrambled that forecast, bringing high winds and surf to Maryland, but I decided to head down this morning anyway. When I arrived, the sky was fairly clear, but there was a strong, steady wind generating a constant stream of waves, and the tide was well above normal, leaving only a narrow strip of beach. The beach opened up a little bit after I walked and waded north but the storm had dumped a layer of fresh sand and there were almost no exposed shell beds. I searched for an hour before I found my first fossil of any note (a cetacean epiphysis). Then, shortly after that, I found my first shark tooth. It was worth the wait--a nice Carcharodon hastalis up near the high tide line! About a half hour later, I found a pristine Galeocerdo aduncus tooth at the water line. The serrations are still super sharp on this one.

Was trying different areas, so I didn’t get as many of the small teeth that I like.

I’ve recently bought some fossil shark teeth online to expand my collection beyond the local Maryland fauna (Miocene from the Calvert Cliffs and Paleocene from the Potomac River/Aquia Formation), and it occurred to me that perhaps there are some forum members who would be interested in sharing some of your finds or extras in exchange for mine. The things I have to offer are shown below—mostly fossil shark teeth and a few other things. These aren’t all perfect, but there’s a good variety, including some less common species. I’ve collected most of these myself and have also listed a few purchased teeth for trade. If there’s something that interests you, hopefully we can help each other build out our respective collections. I have particular interest in adding Ptychodus sp. and Cretodus sp. teeth from the Cretaceous to my collection, but I’m open to a broad range of offers. U.S. trades are likely easiest for shipping, but I’m happy to consider international offers too. Thanks for looking! Quick summary of shark teeth available for trade by species (also see photos below): Miocene from Calvert Cliffs - Alopias latidens (2), Carcharhinus sp. (5+), Carcharodon hastalis (1), Galeocerdo aduncus (2), Hemipristis serra (4), Negaprion eurybathrodono (5), Notorynchus cepedianus (1), and Physogaleus contortus (4) Paleocene from Potomac River/Aquia Formation - Anomotodon novus (2), Cretalamna appendiculata (2), Palaeohypotodus rutoti (3), Paraorthacodus clarkii (1), Striatolamia striata (4+), and unidentified sand tigers (4+) Miocene-Pliocene from Purchases - Carcharocles megalodon (1), Carcharodon hastalis (2) I. Shark Teeth Available for Trade A. Miocene shark teeth from the Calvert Cliffs (unless otherwise noted): Alopias latidens (thresher shark) - both pending Carcharhinus sp. (gray sharks) – I also have others available. The tooth on the far right is from a Miocene exposure in Virginia (Westmoreland State Park). Carcharodon hastalis (white shark, predecessor to the great white) Galeocerdo aduncus (tiger shark) – The smaller tooth on the right is from a Miocene exposure in Virginia (Westmoreland State Park). Hemipristis serra (snaggletooth shark) - tooth A is pending Negaprion eurybathrodono (lemon shark) Notorynchus cepedianus? (sevengill cow shark) – This is most likely N. cepedianus though it’s a partial so I don’t know if it can be definitively ID’ed. Physogaleus contortus (tiger-like shark) B. Paleocene shark teeth from the Potomac River/Aquia Formation: ** I’ve done my best to identify the various sand tiger shark teeth below, but I may have made some mistakes. Anomotodon novus (goblin shark) - both are pending (though I also have others) Cretalamna appendiculata (mackerel shark) - tooth B is pending Palaeohypotodus rutoti (sand tiger shark) – I am pretty sure these are all P. rutoti due to the presence of basio-labial folds (see this elasmo.com page), but I could be wrong. Paraorthacodus clarkii (no common name shark) - tooth is pending Striatolamia striata (sand tiger shark) – I have others available too. - teeth A and D are pending Other non-striated sand tiger shark teeth – I’m unsure of the species on these; some may be Hypotodus verticalis. I have others available too. - tooth C is pending C. Purchased shark teeth available for trade: Carcharocles megalodon – This tooth was collected by a diver from the St. John’s River in Florida and measures a little over 2.75” slant height. I believe these are both Carcharodon hastalis – They are from an estate sale and their original collection location is unknown. They measure 1.7” and 1.2” slant height, respectively. II. Other Fossils Available for Trade A. Miocene from the Calvert Cliffs: Ecphora gardnerae? (gastropod) – If this is E. gardnerae, it’s also Maryland’s state fossil. Drum fish teeth Ray crushing plate fragments – The two v-shaped ones on the left are Aetomylaeus sp. and the other two may be as well. I have others available too. - plate B is pending Fossil corral – I believe these are Astrhelia palmata. I have others available too. Fossil sand dollar fragments – I have others available too. B. Paleocene from the Potomac River/Aquia Formation: Ray crushing plate fragments – I have others available too. Turritella sp. steinkerns/casts – I have others available too.

Well my job has shifted me from West to East and now I will be visiting DC as. Part of my new territory. I have been fortunate to hunt in California but now will have the opportunity to add some east coast teeth to my collection. my question is where the best spot is to hunt with any short windows of time I have while I am in DC. Brownie’s appears to be about 45 minutes but wondering what other sites I should visit while I am there for business. Any onsite and tips for hunting this area would be greatly appreciated. Looking at tide charts it looks like I might get a little time as tide is going out in the evening while I am there. Thanks in advance!

Dear TFF members, Ive taken a photo of all the shark teeth that I am having trouble identifying. Could anyone help point out if I got any ID's wrong? These were all found at Calvert Cliffs, MD. Top 3 rows near Choptank and St Marys Formation and bottom half underneath Calvert Formation. 1. Snaggletooth (serrations are similar on both, the first one has a strange enamel color) 2. First two are white sharks, probably plicatilis? Third, I have no clue 3. Requiem shark tooth (just suspicious because I've never found a tooth in the area with that color) 4. Posterior tiger shark teeth 5. Worn down tiger shark? 6. Snaggletooth front tooth piece 7. Cow shark (is this pathological? ive found a couple of other cow shark teeth and none of them have opposing edges) Thanks for the help, James

I found the tooth below this morning at Douglas Point (Aquia Formation, Paleocene) in Maryland. The cusp is fairly narrow, it's missing one cusplet and the other is small and/or worn down. But between the prominent lingual protuberance and what looks to me like a small bourlette, I'm getting an Otodus obliquus vibe. What do you think? I also found a tiny Cretalamna appendiculata -- just over a quarter of an inch.

I have here a 3" piece of bone, found in Calvert Cliffs, Maryland. I'm not well-versed enough with these to narrow it down further from marine mammal, and am hoping that these photographs contain some identifying features that may be useful to one more familiar with these. Can it be narrowed down any further?

I found my first megatooth today! This was found in Calvert Cliffs Maryland, on my second kayaking trip down the Calvert formation. My and my friend visited beaches as we kayaked from Chesapeake Beach to Breezy Point and back. I found this tooth about half way down. Unfortunately this will be my last trip down Calvert Cliffs for a long time, so I am very happy I found this! I believe this is Carcharocles Subauriculatus, could anyone verify this?

We were able to get out to visit the Calvert Cliffs area over the weekend and enjoy the nice weather and lower tides. We were able to take the kayaks out, water was a bit choppy on the way out but as time passed the wind calmed down quite a bit for the return trip. After beaching my kayak, within a few feet of it, I found a very small chub (first for me) and in great condition! Within a few more minutes I spotted the small shark vert rolling in the surf and knew it was a good day already. After some more searching, my wife found the biggest of the mako's pictured. We were also able to find three mostly complete Ecphora as well and some other smaller teeth. We didn't think we would beat the chub and mako this trip, but towards the end of our trip walking back to our kayaks I spotted a tiny black speck while surface scanning, I picked it up and had seen similar teeth posted here and in other groups and new exactly what it was. Was super ecstatic to have found my first symphyseal, cow shark upper. One to check off the bucket list for sure. Below are some pics from the day. In the process of getting a macro lens, sorry about the low quality on some of the up close pics. Also found the black flat bone fragment I wasn't sure what it was, so any insight would be appreciated!

Recently took a trip to Douglas Point and found this odd shaped piece in matrix. Not sure if it is anything or just some sort of concretion, appreciate any help! Thank you

From Douglas Point, Maryland, I kept this because it looked like a claw, maybe turtle?

Water was high, but it was a nice day for hunting. Lots of mushrooms and a turtle on the trail.

Dear Fossil Forum Members, My friend recently found this bone-looking piece on the beach near the St Marys formation at Calvert Cliffs. We have heard that many of the bones washing up are fragments of whale or dolphin bones. Since this piece is so big, we are thinking its some sort of whale bone. Could anyone please help verify this? Sorry there are no proper forms of measurement, for reference the piece is roughy 4.5in (11.5cm) wide and 6.5in (17cm) long. Here are some photos:

The three shark teeth below are all from the Calvert Cliffs (Miocene) in Maryland. I have the two on the left (A. and B.) tentatively identified as Isurus desori, but I'm still learning my mako IDs, including the differences between true makos and Carcharodon hastalis. Hopefully these are identifiable despite their root conditions. I don't know if the tooth on the right (C.) is identifiable or not. Thanks in advance for any help!

Hello everyone! Just a little background: I graduated with my Master's in Geology in Alabama and moved for work just before the pandemic Now that things are starting to settle down, I have been looking to check out the local fossil scene and I found this site while trying to find some good information from people in the know! Found so much good info I just had to join! Excited to have this space to get back into fossil hunting, one of my favorite parts of my undergrad experience!

I always find a lot of these when looking for small shark teeth at Douglas Point, MD. I’m guessing they are fish teeth. If not, might toss them.

Found this in a marine late cretaceous formation in Maryland. Two bones that were immediately associated with each other. I thought the flat bone was turtle when I saw it, but this other bone was just underneath it. Now I really dont know what I am looking at. help?

I found the object below recently while on a non-fossiliferous beach on Maryland's eastern shore (Atlantic Ocean side). It's not a fossil, though I'm hoping someone here might know what it is. The pointy end on what I'm calling the "top" is translucent, hard, and looks toothy. My first thought was possibly a dermal denticle, though I'm not sure the tripod "base" is right for that. The whole thing is light but fairly solid--i.e., while I haven't wanted to break it, it doesn't bend when I apply moderate pressure. Any ideas on what this is?

I had Friday off and decided to head out to Matoaka Beach to do some shark tooth hunting along the Calvert Cliffs. I arrived bright and early and soon came across a decent-sized Hemi. Unfortunately, it was incomplete: missing one side of the root, some serrations, and part of the blade. That turned out to be the theme of the morning as I continued to find several other partial Hemis on the beach. When I finally found a complete tooth, it was in the 0.5- to 0.75-inch range, which is typically the size I find here. While I’ve found several tantalizing bits of larger Hemis at Matoaka, the largest complete tooth was under an inch. Still, finding even smaller and broken teeth is fun, and I had the beach mostly to myself with favorable tides. So, I kept going. And then, in a few inches of water, I saw what looked like a tooth. I definitely haven’t mastered the art of spotting submerged shark teeth. I’m used to my underwater “finds” being shells, rocks, leaves, twigs, and chunks of clay. But I reached down anyway. And I pulled up what is by far the largest Hemi I’ve found to date, measuring 1.28 inches along the slant and 1.22 inches wide—a complete and beautiful tooth! After a long day of fossil hunting, I had a few other nice finds too, but the Hemi was my trip maker. On my way out, I found one last broken tooth, which would have been a real monster, possibly in the 1.5-inch range. Maybe next time, I’ll find one of those intact too!