Genuine Prehistoric Fossil Tooth — Great White 2.21", SC

This is a genuine fossilized Carcharodon carcharias tooth, the fossil great white, measuring 2.21", recovered in South Carolina, one of the best regions in the United States for fossil shark teeth. The enamel shows cool gold and beige coloring with gray tones throughout, and the tooth has an intact sharp tip and very sharp serrations. The root shows natural wear from its time in the river.

Great whites first appeared in the fossil record of the southeastern United States during the Pliocene, a few million years ago. They lived in the same warm, shallow seas as the last megalodons, then outlasted them. South Carolina's blackwater rivers, creeks, and beaches keep turning up their teeth as moving water erodes the old marine layers of the Lowcountry, and collectors recover teeth like this one from gravel beds and river bottoms.

This tooth survives as a fossil because it was dense and coated in enamel, while the shark's cartilage skeleton broke down soon after death. Lower front teeth like this one are narrower and more upright than the broad upper teeth, which made them good for gripping prey. Fossil great white teeth are much less common than megalodon teeth in South Carolina, and a tooth with a known jaw position is a nice addition to any collection.