A Couple Of Rattlesnake Creek Shark Teeth For Id

[ynot]

Hey All,

I was curious about these teeth.

Can anyone give an ID on them?

Scale in mm.

Tooth 1..

Tooth 2.

Tooth 3.

Thanks for any help!

Tony

[ynot]

No help?

Tony

[ynot]

I think I identified number 2... Galeocerdo aduncus.

Tony

[Auspex]

I agree with G. aduncus. I think the others may be Sphyrna prisca.

[ynot]

I agree with G. aduncus. I think the others may be Sphyrna prisca.

Thank You Auspex.

Tony

[siteseer]

Tony,

You shouldn't expect to get immediate responses. I can understand not having enough time every day or even every couple of days to check the forum. I also agree with G. aduncus but the other two are Carcharhinus lowers - one of the Bone Valley species.

I'd have to look it up but I think Sphyrna prisca is an old name with the teeth reinterpreted as Carcharhinus priscus. I'd have to look up C. priscus too but think that is a name almost as old as S. prisca and no longer used because it accounted for more than one species. I'm away from my references so you might try looking for a reference on Bone Valley or Late Miocene Carcharhinus teeth of Florida. In fact, you should look around on the forum.

Jess

Thank You Auspex.

Tony

[Auspex]

Heh...all my shark tooth names are old names, ca 1970.

[Al Dente]

The first and last tooth might be Isogomphodon, though they look slightly different than the North Carolina ones that I'm used to seeing.

[ynot]

Tony,

You shouldn't expect to get immediate responses. I can understand not having enough time every day or even every couple of days to check the forum. I also agree with G. aduncus but the other two are Carcharhinus lowers - one of the Bone Valley species.

I'd have to look it up but I think Sphyrna prisca is an old name with the teeth reinterpreted as Carcharhinus priscus. I'd have to look up C. priscus too but think that is a name almost as old as S. prisca and no longer used because it accounted for more than one species. I'm away from my references so you might try looking for a reference on Bone Valley or Late Miocene Carcharhinus teeth of Florida. In fact, you should look around on the forum.

Jess

Hey-hi Jess,

Sorry for My impatience, I will try to be more patent in the future. I am new to using computers and the internet, and do not mean to be a bother with all of My questions. I am finding it difficult to decipher the multitude of Tertiary sharks, and greatly appreciate all of the help that I have been getting.

Please bear with Me.

Heh...all my shark tooth names are old names, ca 1970.

Auspex-- that is still better than My names for them--"shark teeth"

The first and last tooth might be Isogomphodon, though they look slightly different than the North Carolina ones that I'm used to seeing.

Thank You

Thank You all for the help!!!

Tony

[digit]

I'm a relative noob when it comes to identifying the shark teeth that we find down here in the Bone Valley formation. I'm pretty good with the distinctive forms like Hemiptistis (both uppers and lowers) which are quite unique. Sand Tiger (Carcharias taurus) are less commonly found but different enough that they are easily identified. Tiger Shark teeth are again in a distinct grouping though I'm still refining my concept of the 2 or 3 species that seem to be found down here. I'm getting better at distinguishing the extinct Paleogaleus from the more modern Galeocerdo teeth but I think there may be more species in this complex that I have not been able to tease apart. The more robust teeth of requiem sharks in the genus Carcharhinus are usually reasonably easy to classify as a group but I don't know that I'd be able to tell a Dusky Shark (C. obscurus) from a Bull Shark (C. leucas) or a Caribbean Reef Shark (C. perezi). These I tend to just call "requiem teeth" or more precisely "Carcharhinus teeth" but sometimes I'll (likely too precisely) refer to them as Dusky or Bull Shark teeth when trying to communicate with others where the more precise terms would likely go over their heads.

I'm also getting reasonably good at identifying tiny Rhizoprionodon (Sharpnose Shark) teeth which (due to their size) I mostly find while searching micro-matrix. I do best with the lateral teeth that have the cusp steeply slanted (like in the larger and more serrated Tiger Shark teeth). I tend to call any thin bladed and wide rooted T-shaped teeth Lemon Shark (Negaprion) though I realize I'm probably grouping a lot of different species into this "ID group". And of course, I'm reasonably well versed in Meg, Mako and Great White teeth due to their size and distinctiveness despite their relative rarity.

Given Auspex's comment above I realize I'm leaving out a whole group of fishes with the Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna). Is there any good (i.e. simple) method for distinguishing Sphyrna teeth from among my many ill-classified teeth that I have in the large jar in my living room? I like to take any opportunity once raised to add a bit to my knowledge base. Hammerheads have a bit of panache due to their unusual "cephalofoil" and it would be nice to convincingly announce that I found a "hammerhead tooth" when one reveals itself in my sifting screen--though I expect Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo) teeth might be small enough to be turning up in my micro-matrix. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers.

-Ken

[ynot]

Hey Ken,

It would appear that We are in the same boat, but You are on the bow while I am stuck on the stern!

I was thinking that the protuberance on the root of tooth 1 would make it a distinctive ID, and set it apart from number 3.

Tony