Castle Hayne Tooth, Need Help

[sixgill pete]

This tooth came from the river site not far from my house in Jones County N.C. middle to late Eocene Castle Hayne Formation; Comfort Member. It is about 7mm long. Any thoughts on this one. I am considering Abdounia enniskilleni, but something just does not seem right for that to me.

[Diceros]

Pete - I think you're okay on the species, the problem with the up. lat. tooth is that it's a bit of a dental anomaly - there was something wrong with its tooth germ (the classic explanation is a catfish spine jabbed in the jaw - yeoww), so that the tooth crown came out a bit off. For a tooth like this (or Scyliorhinus), beside the labial and lingual views you've provided, you really also need a lateral view, to show how large and flat-topped the root is.

[MikaelS]

Looks like an intermediate of Carcharias or some other related genus.

[sixgill pete]

Looks like an intermediate of Carcharias or some other related genus.

MikaelS interesting thought, I did not consider. I find no record of Carcharias from the Castle Hayne, but it does seem to match Odontaspis in some regards. Actually better (at least to me) than Abdounia. Thanks for your reply.

This exposure of the Castle Hayne is producing some very interesting specimens. Including a Squatina which are extremely rare in this formation and 3 Heterodontus which are not common at all.