1.5" Fossil Mako Tooth - Maryland

 

This shark, whose teeth can be found in deposits worldwide lived from the Eocene to the Pleistocene. It has been historically classified as a broad-toothed mako shark (Isurus hastalis). It was then reclassified as Cosmopolitodus hastalis making it a type of extinct Mackerel shark.

More recent research has reclassified it as part of the white shark lineage which would make the species Carcharodon hastalis. You can read more about this here. What classification is correct is still under debate leading to lots of different labels for these teeth. We prefer the most recent interpretation and label them as Carcharodon hastalis.

Teeth of this shark have been found up to 3 1/2" in length but teeth over 2 1/2" are uncommon and very rare over 3".