Shark Teeth Self Inflicted Enamel Punctures?

[darrow]

I only started actively collecting about 6 months ago and noticed these puncture marks in the enamal and the only thing I could think of was the shark biting down on a shed tooth while feeding.

Tooth 1 looks like the puncture entry was "side b" and exit "side a" leaving a strip of intact enamal around the exit hole but cutting the corresponding enamel at the entry.

Tooth 2 looks like it was hit twice by the same a pair of cusplets like it stuck between a couple teeth?

added another picture illustrating similar cusplet spacing.

Is this a common occurance or is there another explination?

Darrow

Edited November 7, 2010 by darrow

[Auspex]

These are often called "bitten teeth"; the idea being that they were shed during feeding and were bitten by the shark in the process. That is probably too big a catch-all explanation, but it seems to fit. Kind of makes them a fossil and an ichnofossil, which is cool. Not all that common, either, relative to the number of teeth found.

[obsessed1]

The tooth in the photo you have labeled tooth 1 side b appears to me to have been damaged while it was still forming not later as it was shed. You will notice the the cutting edge isn't chipped but rather it curves outward at the point of damage. A very cool find!

Edited November 8, 2010 by obsessed1

[jpc]

I agree with obsessed one... it looks like the tooth did a bit of healing before it was shed. Now why would a tooth in working position have a healed scar.... I don't know.

[Coco]

Hi,

The wound stayed on this tooth is interesting.

If the shark had eaten a ray which had a prickle ( stingray ), and that the prickle had got it all wrong behind the jaw, there where teeth form, and where this prickle had damaged this tooth when it was not still completely formed, it would have kept a mark like the one on yours.

Here is what what certainly arrived.

Coco

[jpc]

coco-

Oooooh, I like that idea. Does this happen to modern sharks?

[Coco]

Hi,

Yes JPC, this happens to modern sharks. I have not this "accident" on my own recent selachians jaws, but somewhere I had a picture found on the web. Unfortunatly, I don't know where I put it... I will search it and show you.

In the meantime, here is an image of a jaw of shark teeth of which were deformed during their growth.

Centrophorus granulosus

Would that interest in you that I made a post on deformed teeth from current sharks?

Coco