Where should I be looking for larger hemipristis serra?

[Mara_Masina]

Hello, I've heard that some locations are better than others for finding specific species. My favorite shark teeth to find are those of the snaggletooth shark, so I was wondering if anyone knows where I might be able to focus my hunting in order to find the serrations of my dreams! I live in PA, but am willing to drive as far as Virginia if I have time and money. So far I've found baby H. serra teeth at Matoaka, but as I'm a new fossil hunter I haven't had a chance to check out other sites yet. Any recommendations? Thanks!

[Al Dente]

Hemipristis serra reached their largest size in the Pliocene. Large ones can be found in the Pliocene Yorktown Formation. I've seen large ones in the Peace River in Florida too.

[Praefectus]

I think that in addition to digging in the right layer, there is also an aspect of luck that goes into finding big teeth. 

[bthemoose]

Larger hemis can be found from the Calvert Cliffs, including the area around Matoaka. Here’s my personal largest from there, which measures 1.44” on the slant and is 1.31” wide:

 

As @Praefectus notes, though, there’s always luck involved. It helps to head out often (which I realize is more challenging from PA) to learn the area and to give yourself more opportunities to find something special.

[Shellseeker]

3 hours ago, Al Dente said:

Hemipristis serra reached their largest size in the Pliocene. Large ones can be found in the Pliocene Yorktown Formation. I've seen large ones in the Peace River in Florida too.

I agree with all that has been said by each responder. I have hunted (frequently) Bone Valley, Peace River Formation, Peace River and its tributary creeks.There are lots of small and colorful teeth.  I find "Hemis" almost every time I go hunting.

As AlDente indicates, the largest Hemis seem to map to the Pliocene,  Sometimes I think that the largest shark species in an environment tends to over eat and grow even larger.  Without Megalodon to contend with, Makos, Hemis, Tigers were occasionally top predator.

 

I hunted every where and learned which areas contained the largest Hemis could be found by finding them in locations and layers that were likely laid down in the Pliocene.

This is one of my larger ones... tributary creek off the Peace River,

 

A Peace River find:

A Bone Valley land find

 

There is a large amount of luck involved, but those who are addicted enough and want to have the thrill of discovery can do it if they are close enough to a Hemipristis serra hunting area. With a range from Pennsylvania to Virginia, you might qualify. Time and money (mostly for gas)... when you are driving those long stretches in the pre_dawn hours, remember that it is over a 2 hour drive to my favorite locations.  You are likely to exceed that number.  I wish you well,  and good fortune in seeking those elusive large Hemis

[siteseer]

I agree that the larger Hemipristis are most likely to be found from the Pliocene.  I've seen teeth around or at 2 inches from the Bone Valley Formation and the Yorktown Formation.  I have just a piece of a tooth from the Bone Valley that was probably around that size.  Teeth in that range are very rare.

 

I've collected at sites around Bakersfield, CA - mostly in the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed which is middle Miocene age.  There, a really big tooth is about 1 1/2 inches and that is the upper end of the size range of what you would find from the early-middle Miocene elsewhere as well.   I should say it's not impossible to find a bigger tooth from that time, it would just be a very rare find.  The largest one I have is just over 1 7/8 inches from Venice, FL.

 

Edit: I corrected a typo on the size for the tooth I have.  It's not 2 7/8.  It's 1 7/8 inches

Edited November 13, 2021 by siteseer
typo

[Shellseeker]

8 minutes ago, siteseer said:

I agree that the larger Hemipristis are most likely to be found from the Pliocene.  I've seen teeth around or at 2 inches from the Bone Valley Formation and the Yorktown Formation.  I have just a piece of a tooth from the Bone Valley that was probably around that size.  Teeth in that range are very rare.

 

I've collected at sites around Bakersfield, CA - mostly in the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed which is middle Miocene age.  There, a really big tooth is about 1 1/2 inches and that is the upper end of the size range of what you would find from the early-middle Miocene elsewhere as well.   I should say it's not impossible to find a bigger tooth from that time, it would just be a very rare find.  The largest one I have is just over 2 7/8 inches from Venice, FL.

It was very insightful on your part to acquire that very large tooth when you had the opportunity, 

[siteseer]

14 minutes ago, Shellseeker said:

It was very insightful on your part to acquire that very large tooth when you had the opportunity, 

 

Hi Jack,

 

I've always kept my eyes open for weird stuff.

[bthemoose]

3 hours ago, siteseer said:

The largest one I have is just over 2 7/8 inches from Venice, FL.

Wow, that’s a crazy large Hemi, Jess! Do you have any photos of it?

[siteseer]

17 hours ago, bthemoose said:

Wow, that’s a crazy large Hemi, Jess! Do you have any photos of it?

 

Hi B,

 

I was thinking 1 7/8 inches is big but there are bigger ones and then I noticed that I typed 2 7/8.  That was a typo.  Somewhere, I saw one or two over two inches and maybe one close to 2 1/4.

 

The funny thing is a friend has told me he has a 3-inch Hemi and I definitely wanted to see it.  He said it was packed away.  Of course.  The biggest ones of everything are always packed away, in another state, or photographed in such a way that the size is unclear.  The actual specimen is never available for examination.  I told him he had to be confusing it with some other genus because there aren't a lot of 2-inch Hemipristis out there and the number decreases with every 1/16 of an inch after that.  I'm not sure of the size of the biggest confirmed one but I think it's between 2 1/8 and 2 1/4.

 

Jess

[bthemoose]

2 hours ago, siteseer said:

 

Hi B,

 

I was thinking 1 7/8 inches is big but there are bigger ones and then I noticed that I typed 2 7/8.  That was a typo.  Somewhere, I saw one or two over two inches and maybe one close to 2 1/4.

 

The funny thing is a friend has told me he has a 3-inch Hemi and I definitely wanted to see it.  He said it was packed away.  Of course.  The biggest ones of everything are always packed away, in another state, or photographed in such a way that the size is unclear.  The actual specimen is never available for examination.  I told him he had to be confusing it with some other genus because there aren't a lot of 2-inch Hemipristis out there and the number decreases with every 1/16 of an inch after that.  I'm not sure of the size of the biggest confirmed one but I think it's between 2 1/8 and 2 1/4.

 

Jess

Ah, that makes more sense. I was looking at a 2 3/4 inch chubutensis I have and trying to imagine it as a Hemi. That would be pretty amazing!

[Shellseeker]

3 hours ago, siteseer said:

I'm not sure of the size of the biggest confirmed one but I think it's between 2 1/8 and 2 1/4.

Here is the thread where,among others, you and I discussed large Hemis. I am intrigued by @PrehistoricFlorida post where he indicated he had seen one of 2 and 5/8ths....

 

[siteseer]

I had a vague memory that there was a "big Hemi" thread here somewhere.  I didn't remember posting but I have seen a few teeth from Mexico.  People used to RV down to the tip of Baja and bring back rocks and fossils (sand dollars and shark teeth, mostly).  The funny thing about Hemipristis is that there are collectors who'd rather have a big one of those than a great white or megalodon.

 

Yeah, Nate has and has seen a lot of incredible stuff.

 

 

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/12/2021 at 6:36 AM, Al Dente said:

Hemipristis serra reached their largest size in the Pliocene. Large ones can be found in the Pliocene Yorktown Formation. I've seen large ones in the Peace River in Florida too.

Thanks for the information! Do you have any idea where the Yorktown Pliocene sediment is accessible in Maryland or upper Virginia? 

 

I really, really want to get down to Florida! 

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/12/2021 at 8:27 AM, Praefectus said:

I think that in addition to digging in the right layer, there is also an aspect of luck that goes into finding big teeth. 

Oh for sure! Thanks!

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/12/2021 at 9:15 AM, bthemoose said:

Larger hemis can be found from the Calvert Cliffs, including the area around Matoaka. Here’s my personal largest from there, which measures 1.44” on the slant and is 1.31” wide:

 

[Cropped out sexy hemi pictures were here.]

As @Praefectus notes, though, there’s always luck involved. It helps to head out often (which I realize is more challenging from PA) to learn the area and to give yourself more opportunities to find something special.

Oh maaaaaaaan, that's great to hear. I love Matoaka, aside from the walk back up the cliff. I'll be heading there again this Saturday. It's harsh on gas, and because I have to start hunts early the hotel costs add up, but I feel it's worth it every time! Thank you for sharing your hemis, I loved looking at them!!!

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:04 AM, Shellseeker said:

I agree with all that has been said by each responder. I have hunted (frequently) Bone Valley, Peace River Formation, Peace River and its tributary creeks.There are lots of small and colorful teeth.  I find "Hemis" almost every time I go hunting.

As AlDente indicates, the largest Hemis seem to map to the Pliocene,  Sometimes I think that the largest shark species in an environment tends to over eat and grow even larger.  Without Megalodon to contend with, Makos, Hemis, Tigers were occasionally top predator.

 

I hunted every where and learned which areas contained the largest Hemis could be found by finding them in locations and layers that were likely laid down in the Pliocene.

This is one of my larger ones... tributary creek off the Peace River,

[Cropped out awesome hemi!]

 

A Peace River find:

[Cropped out another cool and tall hemi!]

A Bone Valley land find

[Cropped out a distant but still very sweet hemi!]

 

There is a large amount of luck involved, but those who are addicted enough and want to have the thrill of discovery can do it if they are close enough to a Hemipristis serra hunting area. With a range from Pennsylvania to Virginia, you might qualify. Time and money (mostly for gas)... when you are driving those long stretches in the pre_dawn hours, remember that it is over a 2 hour drive to my favorite locations.  You are likely to exceed that number.  I wish you well,  and good fortune in seeking those elusive large Hemis

Thank you for everything in this post, Shellseeker. What incredible teeth!!!

 

You are right, those long drives are wild and difficult to weather, but the emotional and intellectual payoff of finding fossils is something I can't even describe to folks outside of the hobby. I think the biggest cost I encounter is what I spend on hotels though.  Still haven't found a solution to that, since I usually make it down to the Saint Leonard area around 1am when campground gates are closed, and dispersed camping doesn't exist in Maryland. My work schedule just makes it darn near impossible for me to wake before 10am, so I've been making these trips overnighters. 

 

I will think of you as I make these long drives and find every amazing tooth. May the fossil gods be kind to you and grant you an even larger hemi tooth! Good luck, and be well!

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/12/2021 at 3:38 PM, siteseer said:

I agree that the larger Hemipristis are most likely to be found from the Pliocene.  I've seen teeth around or at 2 inches from the Bone Valley Formation and the Yorktown Formation.  I have just a piece of a tooth from the Bone Valley that was probably around that size.  Teeth in that range are very rare.

 

I've collected at sites around Bakersfield, CA - mostly in the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed which is middle Miocene age.  There, a really big tooth is about 1 1/2 inches and that is the upper end of the size range of what you would find from the early-middle Miocene elsewhere as well.   I should say it's not impossible to find a bigger tooth from that time, it would just be a very rare find.  The largest one I have is just over 1 7/8 inches from Venice, FL.

 

Edit: I corrected a typo on the size for the tooth I have.  It's not 2 7/8.  It's 1 7/8 inches

If only I could get out to Cali for a month! There's just so much to see and do there for a nature-lover like myself. Since my husband was born in the area, we honeymooned there for a week, but that was prior to my discovering the accessibility of fossil hunting; we spent the time whale-watching, traveling through his stomping grounds, doing some stargazing, and going to aquariums/zoos. One day I will absolutely make it to Sharktooth Hill! 

 

Thank you for the info!

[Mara_Masina]

On 11/14/2021 at 1:36 AM, siteseer said:

The funny thing about Hemipristis is that there are collectors who'd rather have a big one of those than a great white or megalodon.

I think I am turning out to be one of those said collectors. If offered a choice between the three shark teeth you mentioned here, an h. serra around 2 inches with intact serrations and enamel would win me over every time. At least I won't have to get certified to go blackwater diving for my best chances at a big hemi! 

[sixgill pete]

I think your best and closest bet for finding a 2" plus hemi is the Pliocene of North Carolina. Even there they are extremely rare. I have one over 2" and several between 1 3/4 and 2" .  Check out this thread. Two Inch + Hemipristis Or Snaggletooth Club - Page 2 - Member Collections - The Fossil Forum

 

@siteseer

[DevilDog]

We've found some pretty big hemis (1 1/2" Estimated) in the dirt piles at the Aurora fossil museum. Sadly the really big ones always seem to be broken. Further down the coast at North Topsail Beach, we've found a few uppers that are about 1 1/4" (estimated).

 

I don't actually measure my teeth, buy by the eyeball, the Aurora hemis tend to be larger overall. This is a location worth checking out, as we always find hemis here.