Prepped Sandalodus sp. Paleozoic Shark tooth

[TNCollector]

This tooth is by far one of the best Paleozoic crusher shark teeth that I have found. It measures nearly 2 inches across and is in perfect condition. It was found in the Borden Formation of Southeast Kentucky on a slab that have broken off from a currently unknown layer in the formation. It is amazing that other collectors did not see it sitting in plain site on the ground, but that's not my loss!

 

I deliberated for a long time on two things, its ID and whether or not to prep more of it out. After a good bit of literature review and looking at my other specimens, I settled on an ID of Sandalodus sp., which is one of the larger sharks of this time period. This tooth is also unique because it comes from the Early Mississippian, which I do not get to collect very often.

 

The tooth sat in storage for several months until I acquired a new pneumatic scribe for Paleontological use. This tooth is also the only Paleozoic vertebrate material I have ever found in sandstone, which is very odd because the Borden Formation is almost completely composed of limestone and shale. Anyways, here is the final result. It was a very quick prep due to how soft the matrix was.

 

Sandalodus sp. Shark tooth

Borden Formation, SE Kentucky

Early Mississippian

 

BEFORE PREP

 

AFTER PREP

 

[TNCollector]

The line along the tooth is not a crack, but some residual rubber cement that I applied to the tooth when I collected it to keep it intact during travel. I still need to clean it off.

[Peat Burns]

Awesome find.  And good job exposing it!

[Fossildude19]

Nice job, Jim!  

Well done. 

[Ridgehiker]

Its great the way you brought this specimen to light. 

 

Carboniferous shark teeth are among my favourite fossils.  They are also sill quite enigmatic. 

 

Its difficult to identify them beyond a tentative genus.  They are like little diamonds that are awaiting to be studied in more depth.

 

Most of my Paleozoic shark teeth are out of matrix but here's some still in the dolomitic limestone. These specimens are from the nearby Rockies. Earliest Carboniferous. My 'Sandalodus' is just a holding genus. There's only been one study of these assemblage of teeth in Western Canada and I helped prepare some specimens for it.

 

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20091021103825/http://geocities.com/atrypa/matrix.html

[TNCollector]

On 1/12/2017 at 5:28 PM, Canadawest said:

Its great the way you brought this specimen to light. 

 

Carboniferous shark teeth are among my favourite fossils.  They are also sill quite enigmatic. 

 

Its difficult to identify them beyond a tentative genus.  They are like little diamonds that are awaiting to be studied in more depth.

 

Most of my Paleozoic shark teeth are out of matrix but here's some still in the dolomitic limestone. These specimens are from the nearby Rockies. Earliest Carboniferous. My 'Sandalodus' is just a holding genus. There's only been one study of these assemblage of teeth in Western Canada and I helped prepare some specimens for it.

 

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20091021103825/http://geocities.com/atrypa/matrix.html

 

Carboniferous shark teeth are definitely my favorite types of fossils. I think I like them so much because there is so little known about them. Almost all of the ones that I find are in matrix still. I have probably found a few hundred of them in total, but only maybe 50 that were collecting condition. It is always a super exciting day when I find a good one.

 

There is still so much to learn and research about these awesome creatures, it is a shame that they are rarely studied. As far as research goes, the case is the same here in Tennessee as in Western Canada, there has been little to no studies done on them. Occasionally I will see a geological report by the state with a sentence or two describing a tooth that was found, but other than that, there has been pretty much nothing studied in this area.

 

I would like to change that. I have an idea in my head to write a book, something like "Handbook to North American Carboniferous Chondricthyan Teeth," with pictures and descriptions of the teeth and spines, but I don't know if anyone would honestly find it useful.

 

I may send you a PM to learn more about the teeth you find in the Rockies. I am always interested in comparing other people's finds to the ones here in TN and KY.