Palaeocarcharodon orientalis - Transition

Palaeocarcharodon orientalis, the Pigmy White shark, was the earliest white shark, and one of the earliest Lamnid sharks with serrated teeth. P. orientalis was the king of the Paleocene (approx. 60 million years ago). Palaeocarcharodon is a Lamnid shark in the Cretoxyrhinidae family. Palaeocarcharodon orientalis is the only species of this genus. Although a relative, it is believed not to be an ancestor to the Great White or Megalodon shark.

Palaeocarcharodon teeth are known for their triangular with side cusps which are covered with large irregular serrations. Teeth rarely exceed 2”. One of the earliest examples of serrated Lamnid teeth. Serrations and side cusps are highly irregular much like the early Otodus auciculatus teeth. Please note that top quality Palaeocarcharodon teeth are fairly rare and very showy, making them an excellent addition to your Great White shark teeth collection. 

Please note that exceptional P. orientalis teeth are hard to locate. Most teeth are destroyed when collected due to the crude extraction techniques. Nearly all teeth are damaged (most lose one or more of their side cusps or have broken roots that are reattached). The trick is locating teeth that have little to no damage and are repaired quite nicely (and correctly). The typical teeth on the market are very poorly repaired and quite often exhibit restored areas. Many of the teeth for sale by others have completely remanufactured roots - beware! I have gone through large quantities to find teeth that are very showy with no or minimal repair that can not be detected on the display side. The collector's quality, extra large teeth of high quality like these are seldom seen. This is our largest selection of top quality teeth. A rare treat!

Note - all teeth sizes are slant height unless otherwise noted.