Modern mako shark tooth and tiger shark tooth

[Jerrychang]

Just got 2 big modern shark teeth, but have some questions about them.

 

1. Is this tooth belongs to long fin mako?

2. Can we estimate the length of the shark by just measuring the tooth?

(3.5cm for the tiger shark tooth and 5.7cm for the mako shark’s)

If we can, How long are these two shark ?

3. Can they grow even bigger?

 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by Jerrychang

[Crusty_Crab]

Regarding question 2, the relationship of anterior tooth size to body length in megalodon, great whites and C. hastalis has been well trod:

https://www.fossilguy.com/topics/megsize/megsize.htm

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot on the relationship for other sharks though.

 

[Dino9876]

Hi,

The mako shark tooth belongs to a shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). I'll send you a comparison photo from my collection (it is also the same size as your tooth).
Depending on the position of the tooth, it is not easy to estimate the total body length. Shortfin makos can grow up to 4,5m, I would guess, that our mako teeth are from a shark with around 4m TL. But I cant tell this for sure.

It is even more difficult with tiger sharks, since the tooth shapes in the jaws does not differ very much here, only their size. That's why you can't even estimate the length here.

 

Best regards from Germany

[Dino9876]

Longfin mako shark teeth are much wider, I'll send you a picture from my collection here as well.

But yes, very large I. oxyrinchus teeth are somewhat similar to I. paucus teeth.

[Jerrychang]

1 hour ago, Dino9876 said:

Hi,

The mako shark tooth belongs to a shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). I'll send you a comparison photo from my collection (it is also the same size as your tooth).
Depending on the position of the tooth, it is not easy to estimate the total body length. Shortfin makos can grow up to 4,5m, I would guess, that our mako teeth are from a shark with around 4m TL. But I cant tell this for sure.

It is even more difficult with tiger sharks, since the tooth shapes in the jaws does not differ very much here, only their size. That's why you can't even estimate the length here.

 

Best regards from Germany

Thanks for the information!

Besides, is the difference between the two species only the width of the teeth?

How about these posterior teeth? Are they also belong to short fin mako?

[Dino9876]

1 minute ago, Jerrychang said:

Thanks for the information!

Besides, is the difference between the two species only the width of the teeth?

How about these posterior teeth? Are they also belong to short fin mako?

 

If you want to identify isolated teeth, this shape of the wider tooth edge is the only hint (that I currently know).
In a full jaw, the two species also differ a bit, one clue is the gap between the 3rd and 4th tooth in the upper jaw (I. paucus often has no or only a very small gap compared to I. oxyrinchus). And externally, the two species differ mainly in the much longer pectoral fins of I. paucus compared to I. oxyrinchus.

 

I would also classify the 3 teeth you have here as I. oxyrinchus, but it is much more difficult with posterior teeth. 

With I. paucus posterior teeth, the transition from tooth crown to base is often much smoother (see photo). So they often don't have that little hump near the base.

But the tooth shapes also vary greatly, so I really can't say for sure which Isurus species these teeth belong to. As I said, I'm leaning more towards I. oxyrinchus, but I might be wrong.

 

Best regards