Genuine Prehistoric Fossil Tooth — Great White 1.41", SC

This is a genuine fossilized Carcharodon carcharias tooth, the fossil great white, measuring 1.41", recovered in South Carolina, one of the best regions in the United States for fossil shark teeth. The enamel shows rich brown coloring, and the tooth has an intact sharp tip and sharp serrations. Both root lobes have chips at the ends.

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. Great white teeth are triangular and serrated, built for cutting through prey such as seals and large fish. Fossil great white teeth are much less common than megalodon teeth in South Carolina, which makes a sharp, well-colored example like this a nice addition to any collection.