Help ID extant teeth for my reference collection

[DevilDog]

I like to have extant teeth in my collection to contrast with fossil teeth of the same or similar species. I bought these teeth at a tourist shop in Las Vegas a few years ago. They had been made into necklaces. I thought they might be H. elongata based on the root shape and would be interesting to display along with my fossil H. serra teeth. I am not convinced my ID is correct, especially considering the serrations go all the way to the tip.

 

Any ideas?

[hemipristis]

I believe that they are from the blue shark, Prionace glauca.

 

Photo courtesy of theSmithsonian below.

 

 

[Coco]

Hi,

 

I’m leaning more towards Hemipristis elongata. Look at the middle of the root : in Hemipristis elongata the center of the root is particularly "square" whereas this isn't the case in Prionace glauca.

 

 

Coco

[hemipristis]

6 hours ago, Coco said:

Hi,

 

I’m leaning more towards Hemipristis elongata. Look at the middle of the root : in Hemipristis elongata the center of the root is particularly "square" whereas this isn't the case in Prionace glauca.

 

 

Coco

 

Note that in the upper photo one is viewing the lingual side of the teeth while in the lower photo one is viewing the labial side

[Coco]

Hi,

 

I know, I’ve seen ! But on both sides we can see this square shape...

 

Do you prefer this one ?

 

 

On the other two teeth it is also seen but less clearly. It must be said that white teeth on a white background don't make this reality visible.

 

And here is my two jaws to compare

 

@MarcoSr

 

Coco

[Al Dente]

It looks like Prionace to me. On Prionace teeth there are fine serrations all the way to the tip while Hemipristis have coarse serrations along the edges but no serrations on the tips.

[hemipristis]

Top photo is from the U.S. National Oceanogrphic and  Atmospheric Administration Fisheries website.  The second is from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  Both photos of Prionace glauca teeth seem to show the squarish notch.

 

https://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/rcb/photogallery/shark_teeth.html

 

https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/blueshark-requinbleu-eng.html

[MarcoSr]

12 hours ago, Coco said:

@MarcoSr

 

Coco

 

11 hours ago, Al Dente said:

It looks like Prionace to me. On Prionace teeth there are fine serrations all the way to the tip while Hemipristis have coarse serrations along the edges but no serrations on the tips.

 

The teeth posted above by @DevilDog are upper Prionance glauca teeth.  Although the upper teeth of Prionace and Hemipristis do look similar there are multiple features which do help tell them apart.  Eric is 100% correct on what he says above about the serrations.  Upper Prionace teeth also have very prominent nutrient groves with a very prominent notch like the teeth in this post and Hemipristis do not.  The upper teeth of Prionace and Hemipristis  also have different shaped roots which are difficult for me to describe but can be seen in the below dentitions from J-elasmo.  I could post pictures of teeth from the modern jaws that I have, but I believe the below pictures are better because you can clearly see the roots of the teeth and the nutrient grooves.  You also can adequately see the serration differences.

 

 

 

Hemipristis elongatus (Snaggletooth Shark) dentitions:

 

 

 

 

Prionace glauca (Blue Shark) dentition:

 

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

 

[Coco]

 

Coco