fossil
Fossilized Shark Tooth (Eroded)
Carcharodon sp. or Otodus sp. fragment (likely)
Hardness: 5 (Mohs), Color: Cream/Tan/Beige, Luster: Dull to Vitreous (enamel), Structure: Porous root area with smooth enameloid crown, Specific Gravity: approx 2.6-2.9.
Identified More fossil →
Explore Fossilized Shark Tooth (Eroded) in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 5 (Mohs), Color: Cream/Tan/Beige, Luster: Dull to Vitreous (enamel), Structure: Porous root area with smooth enameloid crown, Specific Gravity: approx 2.6-2.9.
Formation & geological history
Formed via permineralization where minerals like silica or calcium phosphate replace organic tooth material over millions of years; common in marine sedimentary deposits from the Cenozoic to Cretaceous eras.
Uses & applications
Primarily used for educational study, personal collecting, and jewelry making; helps in dating geological strata.
Geological facts
Shark skeletons are cartilaginous and rarely fossilize, but their teeth are made of calcium phosphate and are extremely durable, leading to a massive fossil record over nearly 400 million years.
Field identification & locations
Identify by the distinct division between the smooth, hard enamel crown and the porous, vessel-rich root structure; commonly found in riverbeds, phosphate mines, and coastal areas.
More like this
Other fossil specimens
Crinoid Stem Fossil in Matrix
Phylum Echinodermata, Class Crinoidea
fossil
Sedimentary Outcrop (Sandstone/Shale)
Sedimentary bedrock formation (variable composition)
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Limestone
Fossiliferous Calcilutite / Biomicrite
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Limestone
Biogenic Limestone with Brachiopod/Crinoid fragments
sedimentary
Fossilized Crinoid Stem in Limestone
Crinoidea (Class) in Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) matrix
fossil
Fossiliferous Limestone
Limestone with embedded fossil cross-section
sedimentary