Othniel C. Marsh Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 (edited) I have (finally) got around to going through my Moroccan phosphate shark teeth. I've attempted to identify them but I am still not particularly confident at identifying fossils so I thought I'd run it by the experts first. All the teeth are (supposed to be) from the Eocene, save 4 which is (supposed to be) from the Cretaceous. I attempted to label the images with my proposed identifications but there wasn't enough space for all of them so I'll list them all here: 1. Ginglymostomatid (Nebrius?) 2-3. Hemipristis? 4. Unsure 5. Pristid/Sawfish (Pristis?) 6. Otodontid (Cretalamna?) 7-10. Odontaspidid The lighting is also quite poor on these images as the enamel on the teeth is very reflective and they show up as amorphous white blobs if it's too bright as my phone camera is by no means the best. Thanks in advance for any proposed ID's Othniel Edited November 28, 2023 by Othniel C. Marsh 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 First one, cropped and contrasted: Have you tried downloading a free magnifying app, like Magnifier? Might help with some of your pictures. Also daylight helps with clarity, rather than artificial lighting. 1 Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted November 28, 2023 Author Share Posted November 28, 2023 I'd never considered a magnifying app: I'll get one at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 To my knowledge there are no Hemipristis in phosphates in Morocco. These teeth are not anyway. Coco 3 ---------------------- OUTIL POUR MESURER VOS FOSSILES : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 1 (Poissons et sélaciens récents & fossiles) : ici Ma bibliothèque PDF 2 (Animaux vivants - sans poissons ni sélaciens) : ici Mâchoires sélaciennes récentes : ici Hétérodontiques et sélaciens : ici Oeufs sélaciens récents : ici Otolithes de poissons récents ! ici Un Greg... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 #2 and 3 look like Carcharhinus species. 4 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted November 29, 2023 Author Share Posted November 29, 2023 (edited) I never considered Carcharhinus, sixgill pete, but I think you're right. I know @Macrophyseter has some experience with Moroccan shark teeth. What do you reckon the other teeth are? Edited November 29, 2023 by Othniel C. Marsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted December 3, 2023 Author Share Posted December 3, 2023 Apologies for the double post but I forgot to "@ in" @bthemoose in the last one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted December 29, 2023 Author Share Posted December 29, 2023 A couple more teeth for identification: The one on the left is from the Eocene Moroccan phosphates and is probably another odontaspidid, albeit a larger species than the others. The one on the right, however, was sold as an Isurus desori tooth from the Palaeocene of Dakhla in West Sahara. The tooth is much broader and stockier than the other teeth and bears substantial resemblance to my Cosmopolitodus hastalis tooth so I would be inclined to assign it to that group of shark. Thanks in advance for any proposed ID's Othniel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patelinho7 Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 The one on the right appears to have cusplets, albeit worn. I think this rules out Isurus desori. They are probably both sand tiger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted December 29, 2023 Author Share Posted December 29, 2023 (edited) Which species of sand tiger? Also many of the other teeth are yet to be ID'd so any help with them would also be appreciated. Edited December 29, 2023 by Othniel C. Marsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 Could the tooth sold as one belonging to an Isurus be from a Macrorhizodus or similar? I know Macrorhizodus falcatus is known from the Priabonian of the Samlat Formation in Dakhla, and I've seen Macrorhizodus teeth with cusps like those on the aforementioned tooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dries85 Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 On 12/29/2023 at 11:45 AM, Othniel C. Marsh said: A couple more teeth for identification: The one on the left is from the Eocene Moroccan phosphates and is probably another odontaspidid, albeit a larger species than the others. The one on the right, however, was sold as an Isurus desori tooth from the Palaeocene of Dakhla in West Sahara. The tooth is much broader and stockier than the other teeth and bears substantial resemblance to my Cosmopolitodus hastalis tooth so I would be inclined to assign it to that group of shark. Thanks in advance for any proposed ID's Othniel I think the one on the left is a Striatolamia striata, the other one looks like Serratolamna lerichei 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 Your help is much appreciated, dries85. What do you think the other teeth are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patelinho7 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 sorry just seeing this now. I’m not good with sand tiger ID, but the species mentioned above sound right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 No worries Patelinho7. What about the non-odontaspidid teeth in the first post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 (edited) Have you got any suggestions with regards to these teeth, @Anomotodon? Edited January 4 by Othniel C. Marsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 Anybody? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patelinho7 Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 I’m not the best person for shark teeth ID, especially considering there’s no clear information on the age/provenance for each tooth. Especially with sand tigers, I can’t tell if they are Cretaceous or Cenozoic. 2-3 are definitely Bull shark species (Carcharhinus), 4 might be a mackerel shark species, 5 doesn’t look like a sawfish rostral tooth to me, but I could be wrong. 7-10 and the new photos all seem like odontaspids. No clue about 1 or 6, or specific IDs for any. Maybe @Al Dente knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 Thanks patelinho7. They're all from the Eocene save number 4, which is from the Cretaceous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dries85 Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 3 actually looks like Squalicorax kaupi, not quite sure if it occurs in Morocco tho.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dries85 Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 And i believe all these teeth are cretacious.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patelinho7 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Definitely not Squalicorax kaupi, it would have to be ridiculously beat up be construed as such, and even then, the root morphology wouldn't make sense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 After further research I have come to the conclusion that specimen 5 is indeed a Pristis rostral barb, or at least the tip of one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Hard to tell from pic, but #5 could be enchodus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othniel C. Marsh Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 I did originally wonder if it was a very worn teleost tooth, but the rostral barbs of Pristis and similar animals are more likely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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