fossil

Fossilized Shark Tooth (Fragment)

Elasmobranchii gen. et sp. indet.

Hardness: 5 on Mohs scale; Color: Dark brown, black, to charcoal gray; Luster: Sub-vitreous to dull matte; Crystal Structure: Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (mineralized tissue); Specific Gravity: ~3.0

Hardness: 5 on Mohs scale
Color: Dark brown, black, to charcoal gray
Luster: Sub-vitreous to dull matte

Identified July 25, 2026More fossil →

Explore Fossilized Shark Tooth (Fragment) in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed via permineralization where original calcium phosphate tooth structures were gradually replaced by silica, iron, and manganese minerals in anoxic marine or estuarine sedimentary layers over millions of years (typically Eocene to Pliocene epoch).

Uses & applications

Collected as geological curiosities, educational specimens, and used in wire-wrapped jewelry or crafts.

Geological facts

Shark teeth are among the most common vertebrate fossils because sharks shed thousands of teeth during their lifetimes and enameloid is highly resistant to decay. The dark color comes from taking up iron and manganese from surrounding sediments during fossilization.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its distinctive flattened, curved morphology, glossy enamel remnant surface, and high density compared to modern bone or wood fragments. Frequently found along coastal beaches and riverbeds in the southeastern US (e.g., Florida, North Carolina, Maryland).

Other fossil specimens

See all

Crinoid Stem Fossil in Matrix

Phylum Echinodermata, Class Crinoidea

fossil

Sedimentary Outcrop (Sandstone/Shale)

Sedimentary bedrock formation (variable composition)

sedimentary

Chert with Fossil Brachiopod

Microcrystalline Quartz (SiO2) with Calcitic Brachiopod inclusion

sedimentary

Fossiliferous Limestone

Fossiliferous Calcilutite / Biomicrite

sedimentary

Fossilized Crinoid Stem in Limestone

Crinoidea (Class) in Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) matrix

fossil

Fossiliferous Limestone

Limestone with embedded fossil cross-section

sedimentary