Shark teeth
Together with Ray fish, the sharks form the class of Chondrichthyes.
Shark teeth adopt the colour of the sediment in which it is buried. Often they turn black or grey when fossilized. They are solid, consist of calcium phosphates, and do fossilize very well. Sharks have rotating jaws in which new teeth are created permanently. It is estimated that a single shark looses up to 10.000 teeth in its lifespan. Sharkteeth are numerous in sediments from the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods.
From the cartilage skeleton, sometimes vertebrae are found.. Heterodonts produce several types of teeth depending on the place in the jaw. One species of Heterodont always has more types of teeth. Homodonts have only one type of teeth.
Example of a shark teeth from Antwerp, Belgium.
 Click here for information where to find these fossils.
 Go to the Photo page to view photographs of Shark teeth. |
