Basic Shark Tooth Identification

Common Species of Fossilized Shark Teeth

Sharks are cartilaginous fish, Chondrichthyes, classified in the elasmobranch subclass. Sharks, notably, do not have skeletons made of bone tissue: thus, the teeth and vertebrae are the only remnants that undergo fossilization. Fossils of sharks, rays, and shark-like fishes have been found from over 400 million years ago, even before the first trees!

There are

  • Commonly known as mackerel sharks, this order includes:

    • Family Otodontidae: Megalodon and its ancestors.

    • Family Lamnidae: Great white, mako sharks.

    • Family Carchariidae: Sand tiger sharks.

    • Family Alopiidae: Thresher sharks.

    • Family Mitsukurinidae: Goblin sharks

    Further reading on Lamniformes

  • Commonly referred to as ground sharks, this order contains the largest number of species, including:

    • Family carcharhinidae: Requiem sharks.

    • Family galeocerdonidae: Tiger sharks.

    • Family sphyrnidae: Hammerhead sharks.

    Further reading on Carcharhiniformes.