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Shark Teeth ID Help?


hokietech96

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Hi.  These are a little worn down.  They are all about an inch long.  Any feedback is much appreciated.  Thanks!

 

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Even with the blurry photos (photos taken outdoors in brighter light yield better results on smartphone cameras), those appear to be a nice collection of what we used to call 'mako' teeth but now more properly call 'white shark' teeth:

 

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/species/carcharodon-hastalis

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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That is a great idea about taking the pictures outside for better light.  Thank you so much for the feedback! 

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Outdoor light (on a sunny day) is brighter than you can usually muster indoors. Phones have a tough time if you get too close as well as they don't seem to have close-up macro capability so sometimes the images are just too blurry because you are too close trying to make the subject larger.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Yup. Indeed they are.

 

Here's another tip that can help when photographing fossils that have been turned black by phosphatic replacement during fossilization, photograph them on a darker (non-white) background and they will look brighter with more detail. Cameras tend to average the scene and a large amount of white tends to make the camera drop the overall brightness so as not to overexpose the white areas. I picked up some pieces of gray construction paper at an arts and crafts store that I use as a photo background for phosphatically blackened fossils from Florida (hey, that's kind of a tongue twister). :P

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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They do appear to be C. hastalis and for years we would (and still occasionally do) call them "makos" but the most recent science seems to indicate these were not part of the lineage that led to modern day makos but were part of the line that created Carcharodon carcharias, the Great White Shark (White Pointer if you are from down under). ;) Fossil hunters who have a long history of calling these "makos" are trying to change our habit and use the term "white shark" to refer to these now--though it is difficult. :)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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