AncientEarth Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I'd like to get some input on this specimen I found mid-week last week. It's slightly different than the usual Carcharodon carcharias that I have been finding.The formation is Early Pliocene in age.Is this is a C. hubbelli? It is possible this washed in from an older formation and was deposited during the Pliocene, however that is just theory/conjecture at this point.The wavy serrations on both sides are what are throwing me off, I don't know if that's a deformation or vestigial cusps. The tooth measures 7 cm/2.76 in on the dot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I see that sort of gnarliness on big teeth from time to time, enough so that I think of it as 'occasionally normal', and not really a pathology. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I wanna find some! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientEarth Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Auspex, In that case, I'll stick with C. carcharias. caldigger, get on the mend and let's go hit the valley soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilselachian Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I see that sort of gnarliness on big teeth from time to time, enough so that I think of it as 'occasionally normal', and not really a pathology. Agree with Auspex. This "waviness" at the juncture of the crown and root is occasionally found on the teeth of Carcharodon carcharis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientEarth Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 fossilselachian, thanks for the second opinion. I have to familiarize myself with the Lamniformes it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boesse Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Interesting! Thinking back to those marine mammal specimens, I initially had doubts about the young age of that locality, but with this - and the other Carcharodon tooth - it is certainly Pliocene. Not sure if this is truly C. hubbelli; C. hubbelli teeth in the Purisima Fm. are restricted to about 5-6 Ma, barely into the Pliocene, and indeed have tiny, tiny serrations. Regardless of species identification, this puts a 6 Ma maximum age on your locality. Got any idea what unit it is? Pismo Fm? Sisquoc Fm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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