Some Help Please Identifying Some North Texas Shark Teeth

[PrimitiveHunter]

I've only been collecting shark teeth for a week now and have found that collecting them is MUCH easier than identifying the formation they came from, the type of shark, and the approximate age of the teeth, etc. In a post under 'General Discussion', I noted that there are 14 formations exposed in my County (Grayson County, TX) and while I know they aren't all exposed in the same place, I haven't been able to find a map/document that shows which formations are exposed where. Below are two pics. One is a representitive group of teeth that appear to be from different species. The other pic is all my teeth. I'm sure there are probably some teeth in the big group that aren't represented int he small group but I still have trouble identifying small differences. Anyway, any help y'all can give me in identifying the teeth in the small group would be greatly appreciated.

[sixgill pete]

Primitive, try taking pictures of the individual teeth front and back, also use something such as a quarter in the picture so we have a size reference or give measurements. Sometimes I just set my teeth on a ruler. By giving pics of each tooth, up close from a couple of angles you are more likely to get replies with positive ID's. Also some information on where you collected them would be helpful also. Where at in Grayson county, or the creek, or by hwy such and such.

[CreekDawg]

Hey there PH. Location and size reference is very helpful for ID purposes, but I will take a crack at some of them. They look to be from the Cretaceous period, much the same as those we find in Cretaceous deposits here in NJ. I also know Texas is very rich in fossils from this period, although I do not know what parts of Texas.

Row 1- 1 and 4 look to be Cretolamna appendiculata,an extinct Mackeral shark. 2, 3, and 6 Scapanorhynchus texanus,extinct Goblin shark.

Row 2- I dont know what the first item is, aside from interesting. Tough to id the other 4, possibly damaged Goblin laterals, or Mackeral shark crowns missing their cusplets.

Row 3- #2 Cretolamna appendiculata, #3 Archaeolamna kopingensis, another type of Mackeral shark. #s 4 and 5 I do not recognize, though 4 kind of looks like a Mako crown. I am not sure if any kind of Mako lived in the Cretaceous. I hope that someone who knows more about it will chime in.

What a beautiful point that is in your photo! Is that a personal find?

[PrimitiveHunter]

Thanks for the help! It gives me a place to start. I grouped them tpogether because, being new to this forum, I don't know the correct protocol for posting pictures. Some forums want you to keep them to a minimum. A lady that was near me when I was looking one day told me that the first tooth on the second row is a crusher tooth. Looks reasonable.

On the point, thanks! No, it isn't a find. I knap arrowheads, knife blades, spear points, etc out of whatever lithic material will carry flakes. This one is Mookaite Jasper from Australia. Being in Texas, I have so much access to flint/chert that I'm always looking for "new" materal. Coprolite is one of the many materials that can be knapped into a stone weapon/tool.

[vertman]

A lady that was near me when I was looking one day told me that the first tooth on the second row is a crusher tooth. Looks reasonable.

That tooth looks like a Ptychodus whipplei tooth. All the teeth in question look like they came from Post Oak Creek, or one of the other creeks in Sherman. If that is the location then the teeth are from Upper Cretaceous aged deposits, probably mostly from the Basal Atco Formation. I agree with CreekDawg that you have lots of Scapanorhynchus and Cretolamna shown in the images.