Shark tooth

Elasmobranchii

A durable clue left behind by an ancient marine predator.

Paleogene United States

Sample content • provenance shown broadly for demonstration

At a glance

Fast Facts

35 million years old

Paleogene Period

Shark

United States

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The Story

A shark may lose thousands of teeth during its life. Teeth contain hard mineralised tissue and preserve more readily than a shark's cartilage skeleton, making them valuable records of vanished ocean food webs.

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Where Does It Fit?

4.6 billion years ago

Today

Paleogene Period

Shallow marine shelf • Body fossil

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