My attempt at a one row megalodon and great white jaw

[mattbsharks]

This is my attempt at arranging the teeth. I thought it would be fun to try. I have no idea how to construct the actual jaw or how to do proper dentition. Dog provided for reference. The photos were too large to post so here are the links:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7QcbeYzTMs6MnBNbnlfcTJPcFk/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7QcbeYzTMs6cFVDbVBaclBaanM/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7QcbeYzTMs6VVNWdkVBNGVpMzQ/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7QcbeYzTMs6NnJTMldiT08wbEk/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7QcbeYzTMs6Q3h2cGhwTVN2VFk/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7QcbeYzTMs6QWhPc2ROX1JRT1U/view?usp=sharing

 

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

 

[Macrophyseter]

Eh, wonder why the photos were too big to post. The jaws look pretty sweet, maybe if you could use some bone material and model an actual jaw??? 

ps. your dog is cute 

[snolly50]

A very nice assortment. I believe you may have the "wrong" surface of the meg teeth facing the viewer. 

[mattbsharks]

40 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

A very nice assortment. I believe you may have the "wrong" surface of the meg teeth facing the viewer. 

I know but thank you for telling me. I'm not about to glue them in place like that. It's a pity that display side wasn't the natural way for the megalodon teeth to face! It was inconsiderate of the sharks if you ask me!

1 hour ago, Macrophyseter said:

Eh, wonder why the photos were too big to post. The jaws look pretty sweet, maybe if you could use some bone material and model an actual jaw??? 

ps. your dog is cute 

Thanks for the tip! Thank god that megalodon is not alive, or my dog would have been an appetizer!

[Macrophyseter]

28 minutes ago, mattbsharks said:

Thank god that megalodon is not alive, or my dog would have been an appetizer!

Appetizer more like sesame seed 

[Fossildude19]

7 hours ago, Macrophyseter said:

Eh, wonder why the photos were too big to post. The jaws look pretty sweet, maybe if you could use some bone material and model an actual jaw??? 

ps. your dog is cute 

The originals were 8mb. image files.  

 

I've resized and cropped the pictures, and added them to the original post, due to the transient nature of Google Drive links. 

[RJB]

Gunna be real interesting to see what your doing in another 10 years. 

 

RB

[Doctor Mud]

Hi @mattbsharks,

 

coming along nicely - seems like your buddy shared his (or her) pink elephant for scale 

 

I recommend looking at this site:

 

http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html

 

On elasmo.com there are also reconstructed meg tooth sets.

 

This will help with telling uppers from lowers and how teeth vary across the jaw.

 

For example, you seem to have mostly uppers in your great white. 

 

Looking forward to seeing more in the future.

 

 

[snolly50]

8 hours ago, mattbsharks said:

It was inconsiderate of the sharks if you ask me!

Those sharks are so self-centered! They have no consideration for the feelings of others! LOL

 

I agree, the aspect that human folk seem to naturally choose for display is not what the shark would show to the world. Why? At a cursory look it may seem that the "rounded" aspect might be helpful in keeping the critter's tongue off those pointy ends. However, unlike a dog with a lolling tongue; it is my understanding that a shark has a relatively immobile tongue analog. So, it must be some other reason for the adaptation of this tooth shape. Bite mechanics? Does anyone know?

 

[Doctor Mud]

Images from Elasmo.com for comparison.

 

[mattbsharks]

1 hour ago, Doctor Mud said:

Images from Elasmo.com for comparison.

 

Thanks for the advice! I will check it out

3 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

The originals were 8mb. image files.  

 

I've resized and cropped the pictures, and added them to the original post, due to the transient nature of Google Drive links. 

thanks! Whenever i take a photo on my iphone with a busy background like a rug, it ends up being too big of a file size

[Fossildude19]

Poster boards.  

[mattbsharks]

8 hours ago, snolly50 said:

Those sharks are so self-centered! They have no consideration for the feelings of others! LOL

 

I agree, the aspect that human folk seem to naturally choose for display is not what the shark would show to the world. Why? At a cursory look it may seem that the "rounded" aspect might be helpful in keeping the critter's tongue off those pointy ends. However, unlike a dog with a lolling tongue; it is my understanding that a shark has a relatively immobile tongue analog. So, it must be some other reason for the adaptation of this tooth shape. Bite mechanics? Does anyone know?

 

If I recall correctly I think I read somewhere that the display side was on the inside of the mouth to help food stay in their mouth, so that chunks of flesh and such would not slide right out of their mouths. The curve does this.

7 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Poster boards.  

I do that sometimes I could not  7 foot by 7 foot worth of  poster board

[snolly50]

27 minutes ago, mattbsharks said:

If I recall correctly I think I read somewhere that the display side was on the inside of the mouth to help food stay in their mouth, so that chunks of flesh and such would not slide right out of their mouths. The curve does this.

That sounds plausible, as food retention would be adaptive. However, when your lunch consists of huge bites from a whale (a critter large enough to provide more than an appetizer portion), spillage becomes less of a survival concern. I'm guessing (and it is purely speculative) that the shape of the teeth is evolved in such a way that optimizes their prime function, that is, bite. It's fascinating, just a small detail in the life of an extraordinary creature. 

[mattbsharks]

22 minutes ago, snolly50 said:

That sounds plausible, as food retention would be adaptive. However, when your lunch consists of huge bites from a whale (a critter large enough to provide more than an appetizer portion), spillage becomes less of a survival concern. I'm guessing (and it is purely speculative) that the shape of the teeth is evolved in such a way that optimizes their prime function, that is, bite. It's fascinating, just a small detail in the life of an extraordinary creature. 

If you combine the two, what I am saying, that the outward curve of display side kept food in, and yoour theory that it was bite, perhaps the curved nature of the teeth helped to guide the and propel chunks of flesh into their mouths and down their throat from the bite force rather than just being flat and slicing through the flesh. This would allow for easier food retention. Purely speculating

[snolly50]

7 minutes ago, mattbsharks said:

If you combine the two, what I am saying, that the outward curve of display side kept food in, and yoour theory that it was bite, perhaps the curved nature of the teeth helped to guide the and propel chunks of flesh into their mouths and down their throat from the bite force rather than just being flat and slicing through the flesh. This would allow for easier food retention. Purely speculating

It's fun to speculate about this and there may already be a definitive answer (unknown to me). Experimentally, what we need is the Mythbusters, your reconstructed jaw, a hydraulic mechanisms for pressure, and a large animal carcass. 

[mattbsharks]

that would be mighty cool!

Just now, snolly50 said:

It's fun to speculate about this and there may already be a definitive answer (unknown to me). Experimentally, what we need is the Mythbusters, your reconstructed jaw, a hydraulic mechanisms for pressure, and a large animal carcass. 

 

[Coco]

Hi,

 

When we want to reproduce a shark jaw, there is a thing important to know : every tooth has generally a flat face and a bulged face at the level of the root. I believe that in English you call that the heel. The bulged face is the lingual face, by opposition the more flat face is the labial face.

 

Coco

[Doctor Mud]

7 hours ago, snolly50 said:

It's fun to speculate about this and there may already be a definitive answer (unknown to me). Experimentally, what we need is the Mythbusters, your reconstructed jaw, a hydraulic mechanisms for pressure, and a large animal carcass. 

Just make sure it isn't a whale carcass - or maybe make sure it is if you want true mythbusters drama with explosions?

Man those things can explode if left around too long. Try googling exploding whale carcass - obviously quite graphic so be warned.

[snolly50]

6 hours ago, Doctor Mud said:

Just make sure it isn't a whale carcass - or maybe make sure it is if you want true mythbusters drama with explosions?

Man those things can explode if left around too long. Try googling exploding whale carcass - obviously quite graphic so be warned.

, an apt warning indeed. I would not wish to see the lovely Mythbuster, Kari covered in whale ejecta. 

[Ptychodus04]

I think you guys have it all wrong. The flat labial surface provides a more photogenic appeal when the sharks smile for paparazzi. The flash of the camera produces a lovely sparkle effect on their teeth. If the rounded surface were labial, this would be distorted greatly.

 

Kari has been covered in quite a few unpleasant things in the past. I'm sure whale ejecta wouldn't phase her at all, she's pretty tough.

[mattbsharks]

On 9/29/2017 at 10:50 AM, Ptychodus04 said:

I think you guys have it all wrong. The flat labial surface provides a more photogenic appeal when the sharks smile for paparazzi. The flash of the camera produces a lovely sparkle effect on their teeth. If the rounded surface were labial, this would be distorted greatly.

 

Kari has been covered in quite a few unpleasant things in the past. I'm sure whale ejecta wouldn't phase her at all, she's pretty tough.

I hear your point, but I disagree with it from an evolutionary stand point. The curved edge would have struck more fear in their prey, which is what the sharks wanted.

[Ptychodus04]

36 minutes ago, mattbsharks said:

I hear your point, but I disagree with it from an evolutionary stand point. The curved edge would have struck more fear in their prey, which is what the sharks wanted.

 

Generating no fear in prey is a much greater evolutionary advantage. They don't run/swim away from you if they aren't afraid. Therefore, you expend less energy hunting.

[mattbsharks]

4 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

 

Generating no fear in prey is a much greater evolutionary advantage. They don't run/swim away from you if they aren't afraid. Therefore, you expend less energy hunting.

True, but the shark wants to have some fun...hence playing tag with the prey

[ynot]

The real reason behind the shape is dictated before the tooth is exposed. It provides a flat smooth surface inside the mouth so food does not have anything impeding the down throat travel.