Jarrettharp Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 (edited) So I found these teeth all at the same spot...the 3 white teeth were found facing SW..and the blue 1 was found facing east...I believe the formation is topanga but it could be Capistrano as they kinda overly each other in the area...are the 3 white teeth a different shark?..if not then why does the blue 1 have prongs at the bottom?..the blue tooth is the only 1 of its kind (color and preservation) found at that spot..the rest have all been white...I know exposure played a role with the white teeth because the grade was weathered..as for the other it was found on a much more protected grade...and they are great white teeth correct?.. Edited August 3, 2015 by Jarrettharp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrieder79 Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Very interesting teeth. They have the shape of a mako but with serrations. I am out of my element in identifying these but am very interested to hear the more knowledgeable members weigh in. The small cusps on the left one are particularly interesting. Luck is the most important skill of a fossil diver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cris Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Wow, those teeth are interesting. Maybe transitionals between Isurus and Carcharodon? Shark teeth aren't my specialty, but they're very intriguing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cris Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Here's a pic of a great white tooth from Florida. Notice how much more pronounced the serrations are. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 All four are from Great White Sharks. While rare, the small basal cusps occasionally occur on small west coast specimens. 1 "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarrettharp Posted August 4, 2015 Author Share Posted August 4, 2015 Thanks for the responses guys...I was told the cusp was a sign of transition but that info came from someone who knew very little...so I never knew if it was true...and cris what a gorgeous tooth...I always believed in my heart that they were great whites but just wanted to make sure...because of the the shape and lack of serration even tho they are still serrated...the blue one is 1 of my favorites because of its color...I only have a few other partial great whites..still waiting for the day I find a good size 1...this 1 came out of the Capistrano formation for sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Awesome teeth! This is why I love this forum---someone always knows what "it is"! Thanks for sharing the teeth with us, they are very interesting. I thought the thread on the fossilized pearl was pretty good--it shows our fossil hunters have a good sense of humor, along with smarts! Someday I may have some smarts, not just my sense of humor! In the meantime I can learn from posts like yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edd Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I think they might be transitional " We're all puppets, I'm just a puppet who can see the strings. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfin1974 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Those are definitely transitional teeth. The serrations are weak and point more downward away from the root. I have alot of these and some are wavy serrations (esheri type) and some are hubbelli type, which sometimes fade to smooth at the tip of the tooth. Very nice teeth. It was a Pacific transition where "Makos" began to serrate they say changing from a fish diet to more of a meat or mammalian diet. 2 seperate transition events. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarrettharp Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 Rad...good to know..my uncle has some really nice transitionals he pulled from another site down here...I'll try and get some photos of them...thanks for all the input from everyone...wish the spot I got them from was still available... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Those would be from the Capistrano which is Early Pliocene. The Topanga is Middle Miocene though younger than the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed.. Transitional teeth have been documented from the Capistrano. Teeth from Oceanside can look like those. The lateral cusps are a feature seen in juvenile teeth. For some reason juvenile great whites are found more often on the west coast. So I found these teeth all at the same spot...the 3 white teeth were found facing SW..and the blue 1 was found facing east...I believe the formation is topanga but it could be Capistrano as they kinda overly each other in the area...are the 3 white teeth a different shark?..if not then why does the blue 1 have prongs at the bottom?..the blue tooth is the only 1 of its kind (color and preservation) found at that spot..the rest have all been white...I know exposure played a role with the white teeth because the grade was weathered..as for the other it was found on a much more protected grade...and they are great white teeth correct?.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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