Shark Tooth Anatomy

Most shark teeth share the same basic architecture. Once you can name the parts, identification gets easier — because what separates one species from another usually comes down to the presence, absence, or shape of a specific feature.

A serrated edge or not. A chevron-shaped band at the base or not. Side cusplets or not. Five or six details, and you can usually narrow a find to a handful of possibilities.

The Parts

Five features do most of the identification work. Here they are, from tip to base.

01 Crown aka the Blade

The main enameled cutting surface — the triangular blade that does the work. On a fossil, the crown is smooth, slightly glossy, and usually darker than the root. Look for a flat, uniform texture across the surface. Chips and wear show up easily here, and the shape of the crown (triangular, curved, hooked) is one of the fastest ID signals.

02 Bourlette the dark band

A dark, chevron-shaped band of dense tissue between the crown and the root. Sometimes called the neck. Its presence or absence is a major ID cue — megalodon has a prominent bourlette, great white does not. When it's there, it's often a richer dark color than the surrounding tooth, and it curves inward in a v-shape.

03 Serrations the saw-edge

The jagged, saw-like edge running up the sides of the crown. Presence, absence, or coarseness is key for ID. Megalodon and great white have fine, regular serrations. Snaggletooth has large, coarse serrations on the lower half only. Makos have none. If you can see or feel them, you've narrowed the field immediately.

04 Root the base

The porous, often v-shaped base that anchored the tooth in the jaw. Matte rather than glossy. Usually lighter in color than the crown because the root material is less densely mineralized. The root shape matters — deeply forked roots suggest large predators like megalodon or great white; flatter, squarer roots suggest different species.

05 Cusplets the side teeth

Small, secondary mini-teeth sitting at the base of the main blade, one on each side. Many species have them; some don't, and some lost them over evolutionary time. Sand tiger teeth have pronounced, pointed cusplets. Juvenile megalodon can have small cusplets that adults lost. When you're stuck between two similar-looking finds, checking for cusplets often settles it.

Using Anatomy for Identification

A simple decision tree works surprisingly well once you know the parts:

Check the edge. Serrated or smooth? Fine or coarse? Full length or partial?
Check for a bourlette. If yes — narrow to megalodon or close relatives. If no — broader field.
Check the crown shape. Triangular, curved, hooked, or broad?
Check for cusplets. Present? Pointed or rounded? Absent?
Check the root. Forked or flat? Complete or worn?

Five questions. Most finds narrow down in under a minute. For the species most common at Shark Tooth Island, see the species catalog.

What About Broken Teeth?

Most of what surfaces at Shark Tooth Island is partial. Roots break off. Tips wear away. The blade can fracture. This is normal, and a broken tooth is still worth keeping — the remaining anatomy is often enough for ID.

Priority of clues when something's missing: serrations first (they identify fast), bourlette second (if the base is intact), crown shape third. Root alone can be tough to ID, but pair it with other visible detail and you can usually get there.

If the tooth is worn smooth and you can't see any of these features clearly, photograph it next to a ruler and post it somewhere with ID expertise. Worn teeth aren't worthless — they're just harder.

Shark ToothAnatomy.

The Parts

Using Anatomy for Identification

What About Broken Teeth?

Shark Tooth
Anatomy.