Symphyseal Cow Shark (Hexanchus) Tooth - Morocco

This is large, 0.98" symphyseal Cow Shark (Hexanchus agassizi) tooth from the phosphate deposits in the Oulad Abdoun Basin of Morocco. These teeth are fragile, so larger specimens like this one are rarely found intact. Cow sharks have uniquely shaped Symphyseal (center of mouth) teeth that have a fan shape to them. Because they only occur at the center of the mouth, they are quite rare.

This shark has a large, thick body, with a broad head and blunt snout. The top jaw has jagged, cusped teeth and the bottom jaw has comb-shaped teeth. It lived in shallow water and was an opportunistic predator feeding on animals along the bottom.