Genuine Prehistoric Fossil Tooth — Great White 1.95", FL

This is a genuine fossilized Carcharodon carcharias tooth, the fossil great white, measuring 1.95", recovered in Florida, one of the best regions in the United States for fossil shark teeth. It comes from the lower right jaw, second position from the front.

Great whites first appeared in Florida's fossil record during the Pliocene, a few million years ago. They lived in the same warm, shallow seas as the last megalodons, then outlasted them. Florida's rivers, beaches, and phosphate deposits keep turning up their teeth as moving water and mining expose those old marine layers, and collectors recover teeth like this one from gravel beds and the seafloor.

This tooth survives as a fossil because it was dense and enamel-coated, 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 Florida, and a tooth with a known jaw position is a nice addition to any collection.