2.44" Fossil Broad-Toothed "Mako" Tooth - South Carolina

Fossil Broad-Toothed Mako Tooth - South Carolina #170444

This is a fossil broad-toothed mako (Carcharodon hastalis) tooth from the Hawthorn Formation. It was collected in South Carolina after it eroded out of the Hawthorn Formation. The broad-toothed Mako is thought to be the direct ancestor of todays Great White Shark.

This shark, whose teeth can be found in deposits worldwide, lived from the Eocene to the Pleistocene. It had 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 rename the species to 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 inches in length but teeth over 2 1/2 inches are uncommon and very rare over 3 inches.