Sarcosuchus or bust??

[Aceofspades]

Hi 

 

I purchased this tooth from a local shop and was just wondering if it is from a sarcosuchus either S. Imperator or S. Hartti? Is it even possible to tell species from a single tooth? 
 

They listed it as coming from Morocco and being from the Cretaceous ~100MYA. However the slip also mentions Elosuchus ~70MYA. 
 

My knowledge about prehistoric crocodiles is very limited. I’d be happy to just have a fossilised croc tooth as it would be my first and I didn’t pay heaps. 

[Rockwood]

37 minutes ago, Aceofspades said:

Is it even possible to tell species from a single tooth?

Good question. I doubt it.

It does look like a large croc. (or gator) tooth though.

[LordTrilobite]

Looks like a typical big croc tooth from Kem Kem Morocco. Sacrosuchus however, is not known from Morocco at all. The largest known croc from the Kem Kem beds is Elosuchus. Elosuchus is a close relative of Sacrosuchus. It looks very similar and is almost as big.

 

So yeah, it's not Sarcosuchus, but Elosuchus. Sellers sometimes falsely advertise teeth like these because Sarcosuchus sells better.

[Aceofspades]

Thanks for the replies. Seems like a common practice to advertise stuff as other popular/ well known species when it’s hard to prove. I’m happy I have my first prehistoric croc tooth so it’s no loss. 

[Troodon]

A lot of time misidentifications by shop owners or on line sellers are just out of ignorance and not intentional.  These folks are honest but most often just flip material and ID it similar to what they were told when purchased.  Misidentifications often orginate at the big shows like the one in Tucson or Denver, which supply the world,  that have lots of lets say shady merchants from Morocco.