Carcharias samhammeri

Carcharias samhammeri, Moss Creek

Campanian, Cretaceous

Jun, 2022

Differentiating sand tigers is a tough task. Carcharias samhammeri, Carcharias holmdelensis, and Odontaspis aculeatus are three known from the American Campanian and likely make up the majority of these smaller teeth in my opinion. C. samhammeri typically has a smooth lingual surface and prominent nutrient groove. Some have argued that O. aculeatus is only a juvenile form of C. samhammeri. There are some clear similarities. However, O. aculeatus typically has fine striations on the lingual surface and multiple sets of thin and elongated cusplets. The tooth on the far right somewhat resembles O. aculeatus, but I think C. samhammeri is the stronger ID.