Shark Teeth

[Mike from North Queensland]

I have seen a quite a few of the threads go on about shark teeth.

My question is to those serious collectors is:

What is concidered rare or what is the holy grail in shark teeth. Like your top ten most wanted or rarest teeth.

Also for those like myself who do not know one end from the other in shark teeth past that one end is pointy and sharp

and the other is not, could you attach photos.

cuiously Mike

[sharklover]

Here my most precious teeth

1. Megalodons from bone valley Florida

2. Bakersfiels Meg

3. Bakersfield Meg

4 Megalodon tooth from the Lee creek mine 4,5 inch

[THobern]

There are so many factors to consider when collecting teeth; species, size, preservation, jaw position, location, preservation, condition (i.e. feeding damage), pathology, colour, restoration. Teeth from certain locations are considered more desirable, as are teeth from certain positions in the jaw - symmetrical anterior teeth being the most popular. 3 1/2" Meherrin River tooth with a nice pathology; 5 11/16" Morgan River tooth with a nice shape and good preservation; 5 15/16", 5 3/8" and 2 5/8" Megalodon teeth from Bakersfield California.

Edited August 17, 2011 by THobern

[THobern]

5 15/16" Megalodon from Puerto Rico; 6 5/8" Megalodon from Summerville, South Carolina; 4 31/32" Megalodon with deformity from Morgan River, South Carolina.

Edited August 9, 2011 by THobern

[siteseer]

It depends on the collector. As you can see, there is the shark tooth collector who concentrates on finding specimens of a particular species from as many sites as possible, especially of the larger genera (Carcharocles, Parotodus, Carcharodon, Isurus) which are known worldwide. The various deposits can yield teeth of different colors even in the same bed so you can imagine the range of colors from one side of an island/continent to another.

There is the collector who concentrates on the full range of species from a particular region, especially if that person lives near a shark-bearing deposit.

Another type of collector works on building a species collection, trying to get a sample of every known species or at least genus.

Of course, few people are strict specialists. I'm sure someone who might specialize in a particular species would also have at least a small collection of other species as well. Among all these collectors there will be those that try to find a sample of different jaw positions especially when there is a noticeable change in tooth shape along the jaw.

As for what's rare, that depends on the type of collector. Some teeth are uncommon but quite rare to find complete - teeth with delicate roots like Hexanchus, Echinorhinus, some of the hybodonts, etc. Of course, everyone looks for the largest, best-preserved material, but to me, a beat-up specimen of something unusual is just as desirable because a collector can live a long lifetime and never even see some species.

I have seen a quite a few of the threads go on about shark teeth.

My question is to those serious collectors is:

What is concidered rare or what is the holy grail in shark teeth. Like your top ten most wanted or rarest teeth.

Also for those like myself who do not know one end from the other in shark teeth past that one end is pointy and sharp

and the other is not, could you attach photos.

cuiously Mike

[Paleoc]

I have seen a quite a few of the threads go on about shark teeth.

My question is to those serious collectors is:

What is concidered rare or what is the holy grail in shark teeth. Like your top ten most wanted or rarest teeth.

Also for those like myself who do not know one end from the other in shark teeth past that one end is pointy and sharp

and the other is not, could you attach photos.

cuiously Mike

In no particular order

1. megalodon 6+ inches (7+ being the ultimate)

2. Parotodus

3. Paleocarcharodon

4. Carcharodon or hastalis 3+ inches

5. Megachasma

http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=genera/cenozoic/sharks/megamouth.html&menu=bin/menu_genera-alt.html

6. Complete Hexanchus lower tooth

7. Notorynchus or Hexanchus symphysial (center lower tooth)

8. Pathologic teeth (any species)

9. Associated dentition (any species)

10. Cookie cutter (Isitius), Bramble (Echinorhinus) or other rare species

http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=genera/cenozoic/sharks/isistius.html&menu=bin/menu_genera-alt.html

http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=genera/cenozoic/sharks/echinorhinus.html&menu=bin/menu_genera-alt.html

Edited August 9, 2011 by Paleoc

[JimB88]

Of coarse I'll put my two cents in. I collect Paleozoic sharks teeth from a couple of sites near me (both Lower Carboniferous)

I'm basically looking to see how many different genera of 'Bradyodonts' (term for Paleozoic teeth that exhibit the bradyodont pattern - that is small openings that nerves passed through) I can find. As far as what I display - larger, complete or very rare teeth.

examples:

Cladodus (not a Bradyodont btw)

Petalodus

and the very rare Xystrodus I recently found.

[Texas-Tunnel Rat]

I just wanted to thank the Topic Creator for asking this.

I myself have been wanting to know what makes Shark Teeth so popular, and not just the fact they are "Shark Teeth".

This has been a good read, as far as my teeth collection is just real basic Ptycodus (latismus,mortoni) Sqalicoraxes and Leptostyrax. And I aplogize for killing the spelling of the species. BUt do have some nice other shark remains though.

Trying to get started on a basic collection.

[Tony Eaton]

Holy Grail... I admire all the teeth posted here already especially Jim's paleozoic finds.

I don't have too many holy grail shark teeth but let me past some names and links.

1) coal shark (Edestus)

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/20023-shark-fossil-found-in-western-kentucky-coal-mine/page__pid__221525#entry221525

2) Helicoprion

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/18776-helicoprion-help/page__p__207465__hl__helicoprion__fromsearch__1#entry207465

3)complete Cretaceous hybodonts (other than Ptychodus) with roots. i.e. "polyacrodus", Synechodus

unable to find picture ;-)

4) any associated teeth, partial dentition, etc.

5) giant Cretaceous Cretodus

These aren't really giant but a pic I have handy, just imagine these 2x as big

[siteseer]

I was thinking more about this last night. You've received more responses since then so my lists will be a little repetitive:

For the Paleozoic, Devonian-age teeth are hard to get so many collectors try to get at least one or two teeth though that time was early in shark

history so specimens tend to be small. While Cladoselache is not the "grandfather" of sharks some older books make it out to be, it is probably

the holy grail of that period. There was a time when you could find a Cleveland Shale specimen (a whole skeleton) for sale but it's tough to find

even an available tooth these days.

In the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Period, or the Carboniferous, shark diversity really got going but collectors have their favorites.

Petalodus teeth were really popular about 10-15 years ago and it started getting tougher to buy or trade for one. They seem to be coming from more

localities these days but you don't see them from the Illinois coal mines anymore. Anyway, Paleozoic and shark tooth collectors in general seem to

admire Petalodus, large cladodonts, Orodus, and Edestus teeth. I have noticed that Deltodus and other crusher teeth have become more popular.

However, I would have to say an Edestus jaw section with at least two teeth connected is the holy grail of this time.

For the Permian, a Helicoprion tooth whorl is easily the holy grail of that period. The commonly-seen Permian teeth have been Xenacanthus from

Oklahoma and Texas though I've seen more material from Germany coming available in recent years than before. In the 90's there was also a time when

a lot of teeth from Russia hit the market. I saw some nice ctenacanth teeth - even a serrated form.

It's not easy finding a variety of Triassic teeth. Sharks suffered greatly during that mass extinction at the end of the Permian. Mostly, you see

some hybodonts but you can find some lesser-seen genera among them from western Europe like Palaeobates.

It's not easy building a collection of Jurassic shark material either and it's not just the teeth. A nice Asteracanthus tooth is an in-demand

specimen from that time but so is a nice dorsal fin spine of that shark or other hybodont. Collectors also look for a nice Sphenodus tooth, an odd

deepwater genus that appeared during that time. Perhaps the real find would be a Jurassic Hexanchus tooth, the oldest modern shark genus.

The Cretaceous is for many collectors when sharks really got interesting - bigger teeth belonging to early representatives of the more-familiar

modern orders. In no particular order: Leptostyrax (those high sharp lateral cusplets), Cretodus, Cretoxyrhina, and Scapanorhynchus might be the

most in-demand, especially the last three because they can exceed two inches in height (Leptostyrax can come close). I have noticed more interest

in some of the Squalicorax species, particularly with a few new species being named in past few years, and in the larger Ptychodus teeth. As for

rarities, Cardabiodon, Dwardius, Notidanodon, and Paraisurus might be what longtime collectors are still chasing though some older collections might

already have a misidentified Cardabiodon tooth. Cretaceous squaliform shark teeth are hard to find for sale or trade as well - generally uncommon because they frequented deeper water environments just as they do today.

Many of the large sharks of the Cretaceous died out by the end of the period so the must-haves of the Cenozoic have almost all different names. From

the Paleocene: Notidanodon survived the mass extinction. A complete tooth of one of those is a holy grail. A 2-inch Palaeocarcharodon from

Morocco is a special tooth but a nice small one from the Aquia Formation of Maryland or Virginia is equally coveted.

For the Eocene a 2-inch Striatolamia or a 3-inch Otodus is high on the list of wanted specimens but some collectors would say it is no contest - a

tooth showing the transition from Otodus to Carcharocles is the gem of the Eocene (basically an Otodus showing incompletely-serrated cutting edges).

By the end of the Eocene Carcharocles is well-established around the world. A nice 3-inch tooth might be considered even more desirable than a

transitional tooth.

The holy grail of the Oligocene would be most likely a 3-4 inch Carcharocles angustidens. Not far from the top of a want list would be a Parotodus

or one of those threshers with the lateral cusplets.

Of course, the Miocene was the time when Carcharocles megalodon appeared and its teeth are certainly the most sought after. In addition, most

collectors are not satisfied with just one specimen of that species. They want them in different colors, in different sizes, and in different

shapes. The largest teeth ever found exceed seven inches and such a tooth may be the holy grail of all sharks.

However, there are a few other Miocene teeth that get talked about a lot. There was a time when Parotodus was largely ignored as "just another

mako," but in the past fifteen years, that genus has become a lot more of a collector's item. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are valued

at least 4-5 times more than in the early 90's. Larger Isurus hastalis (2.5 inches or more) teeth have at least tripled in value since I started

collecting and any with unusual color are highly-prized. Alopias grandis teeth (Early Miocene) and its serrated descendant (Middle Miocene) have

received more attention as well. Complete Hexanchus and Notorynchus teeth would be in a Top 10 list as well.

By the Pliocene-Pleistocene all the modern sharks had appeared. The Pliocene was the time when Parotodus and megalodon died out but you can still

find teeth in some Early Pliocene deposits so many collectors want a sample from that time. Near the beginning of the Pliocene, the modern great

white, Carcharodon carcharias, evolved, and by the Late Pliocene, it is known worldwide. Collectors want it from multiple sites in multiple colors

from multiple jaw positions. The Pliocene holy grail would be a three-inch great white tooth (would have been from an individual perhaps a few feet larger than the one depicted in "Jaws"). The top ten would include Hexanchus, a large Isurus oxyrhinchus (the modern shortfin mako), Prionace (the

blue shark), Oxynotus, and Somniosus (the latter two also rare as a fossils and known from very few localities as they are deepwater sharks).

Edited August 12, 2011 by siteseer

[Northern Sharks]

Siteseer summed it up pretty well in his posts. As one of those "genus collectors", I'm quite happy to add new species to my collection rather than larger/different color specimens of species I already have. That being said, I wouldn't turn down those either, I just don't look for them as actively. The list siteseer gave seems like a wish list for most advanced collectors, and I'm kind of surprised how many I have from that list. As for my most wanted, probably a Carcharopsis (like a carboniferous Great White) and a Helicoprion whorl, but I won't hold my breath waiting.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Northern Sharks

[Lee Taylor]

Seems to be three things people go for:

People get excited over how "rare" a find is.

People always like quality.

People like size.

note: The pathological or deformed teeth are seen as "one of a kind". People rave over these finds.

[Auspex]

ANY tooth associated with a bird bone!

[Terry Dactyll]

BIG and good quality.... although not being in a position to find them its what I can afford at the time if Im looking for one... Sometimes I'm attracted to particular preservations... Nr white in colour is as natural as you will get to the day it left the sharks mouth and the colour hue of aurora megs I think is truly awsome...

[pleecan]

I like collecting primitive sharks in the Devonian : )

http://strata.geology.wisc.edu/mibasin/showfull.php?id=1580

PL

[JimB88]

I like collecting primitive sharks in the Devonian : )

http://strata.geology.wisc.edu/mibasin/showfull.php?id=1580

PL

thats a small tooth!

[alopias]

for me , all specimens of shark teeth are interesting , small and big , différent jaw position , colors

and country . I like to find myself and trading with others collectors

some teeth of my collection

Carcharias ferox Pliocene Chili - Notidanodon lozzi Paleocene Morocco

Galeocerdo aduncus l Miocene France - Hemipristis serra l Miocene France

Edited August 12, 2011 by alopias

[ashcraft]

ANY sharks teeth from Missouri- as Auspex would say- "as rare as hens teeth", at least to me.

Brent Ashcraft

[MikeDOTB]

Alright I know this is an older topic, but Im just catching up, and I couldnt resist this one.

Before I get into it, I have come to the point in collecting, that I only keep 95% complete to perfect specimens. Unless its a tooth that I dont have, then I might consider keeping a broken or worn one. But my shark tooth bucket list would be fore perfect flawless teeth. Also this would be for teeth found, not bought or traded for.

However, this list is always subject to change!

Here goes:

The Bucket List/(How Close I am to it)

10. Hexanchus Gigas Symphesial/( )

9. 2" Hemipristis Serra/(1.5")

8. 4" Carcharocles Angustiden/( )

7. 2" Serrated Alopias Grandis/( )

6. 1.5" Potomac River Paleocarcharodon Orientalis/( )

5. 3.25" Cosmopolotodus Xiphodon/Isurus Hastalis/(2 7/8")

4. 6.5"+ Lee Creek Carcharocles Megalodon/( 2")

3. 2.75"+ Paratodus Benedini/( )

2. 4"+ Carcharocles Auriculatus/(3 1/8")

1. 3.25" Carcharodon Carcharias/ (2.75")

... ... I suddenly feel like I need to get out and do some hunting....

[Auspex]

The Bucket List/(How Close I am to it)

Worthy goals all!

#6 gets my pulse rate up the quickest

[Darwin Ahoy]

Holy Grail... I admire all the teeth posted here already especially Jim's paleozoic finds.

I don't have too many holy grail shark teeth but let me past some names and links.

1) coal shark (Edestus)

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/20023-shark-fossil-found-in-western-kentucky-coal-mine/page__pid__221525#entry221525

2) Helicoprion

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/18776-helicoprion-help/page__p__207465__hl__helicoprion__fromsearch__1#entry207465

3)complete Cretaceous hybodonts (other than Ptychodus) with roots. i.e. "polyacrodus", Synechodus

unable to find picture ;-)

4) any associated teeth, partial dentition, etc.

5) giant Cretaceous Cretodus

These aren't really giant but a pic I have handy, just imagine these 2x as big

It's not totally complete, but I got this guy a couple weeks ago. Meristodonoides (Hybodus) novojerseyensis from Monmouth County, New Jersey with a nearly complete root.

[Just Bob]

Very nice Anthony! As far as Hybodua are concerned I never found anything with even a hint of root on it.