Belgian Otodus

This is probably a Parotodus sp. This species is often mistaken for juvenile (=small) Otodus teeth.

Now you have my full attention. As I've seen cusped Parotodus teeth from Morocco, I've wondered what characteristics separate the 2 species. They look like Otodus to me

Well, when looking for sharks teeth at Egem it's possible to find 2 types of Otodus like teeth:

1st type: large (at least 3 cm) Otodus-like teeth, with most of the time partially or completely serrated cutting edges.

2nd type: smaller (smaller than 2 cm) Otodus-like teeth, never serrated.

The above isn't much of a difference to work with, I know. But there's also something in the overall appearance of the teeth, the size and position of the cusps etc. I can't put my finger on it, it's more of a feeling from someone who's collected in that claypit on numerous occasions and seen a lot of teeth. I'm not saying this is a Parotodus, but bear in mind that it's possible. Parotodus teeth of comparable age are known from Kazakhstan and Morocco also (I have one from Morocco, bought of an unknowing dealer)

Have a look at this, this, this and this page.

Hi, just thought i would add a few words as to the identification of parotodus sp. firstly in parotodus the cusps are rounded, they also have a large protruding root lobe and are much thicker than otodus in proportion, also the tips are generally usually worn in life due to the way the upper and lower teeth grind one another. there is another species that is also very simular and i think that your tooth would fit into this category better and that is cretolamna, they are very simular to otodus but much smaller. if you take a look at my gallery pics you can see a few good examples of parotodus teeth and can see they are distinctively different to your tooth. hope this helps and dont add more confusion. all the best with your id's and happy hunting, Danny