Pathological shark teeth

[DevilDog]

Are pathological shark teeth random occurrences, genetic mutations, or the result of feeding damage? I understand that pathological extant shark teeth show deformities similar to pathological fossil shark teeth. I presume that most of what we know about the subject is based upon modern observations.

 

Is a pathological tooth replaced by a normal one in the tooth replenishment process or is that file always going to produce a deformed tooth? 

 

Thoughts, ideas?

[caldigger]

@MarcoSr

[grandpa]

2 hours ago, DevilDog said:

Are pathological shark teeth random occurrences, genetic mutations, or the result of feeding damage?

  I'll take answer (d) all of the above.  Found an interesting article on the subject.  See:  https://fossil.fandom.com/wiki/Pathological_shark_teeth

 

Elasmo also addresses the subject at:  http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=refs/terms/patho.html&menu=bin/menu_refs-alt.html

[MarcoSr]

There is lots of information on shark pathological teeth on the internet.  You might try some web searching.

 

The very short answers to your questions:

 

You can learn a lot about the causes of fossil shark pathological teeth by studying extant shark jaws and teeth.

 

Shark tooth pathological teeth can be caused by genetics, feeding damage/injury, and disease.

 

The pathology can be to a single tooth or a row/rows of teeth depending on the cause.  Genetics can cause a row/rows of pathological teeth.  As an example a shark's jaw genetically may be too small to adequately allow enough space for all the teeth in the jaw to grow adequately.  In cases like this you can get a row or rows of pathological teeth that are compressed mesially/distally or swashed. Feeding damage can cause a pathology to develop in a single tooth.  However sharks shed their teeth so rapidly that feeding damage to a single active tooth doesn't usually lead to a pathology.  However feeding damage to a forming inactive tooth/teeth can cause a pathology.  Jaw injuries are more likely to cause pathological teeth and effect a row or rows of teeth.  Below are a few pictures from an extant  Sphyrna mokarran (Great Hammerhead Shark) jaw in my collection.  The lower jaw was injured by an embedded stingray caudal spine.  The first picture shows the embedded caudal spine.  The next picture shows the two lateral rows of crossed pathological teeth above where the spine exits the jaw.  The last picture shows pathological teeth in the jaw symphysis where the spine entered the jaw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marco Sr.

[Harry Pristis]

On 8/9/2019 at 2:38 PM, grandpa said:

I'll take answer (d) all of the above.  Found an interesting article on the subject.  See:  https://fossil.fandom.com/wiki/Pathological_shark_teeth

This article uses my TFF album entry "Hubbel Teeth," image and text without attribution.  I posted that entry in November of 2007.