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Hello! Here is a tooth found among the rocks of the Capitola jetty on the Monterey Bay. We are in the Purisima Formation. I also posted this photo on the “Fossils” page. Thanks for any help in identifying this!!
Thanks! I am just now reading this http://coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2011/09/california-shark-teeth.html which agrees with you!
Hey Molly! I’m still leaning towards Great White, but to confirm… Along the margin near where I’ve outlined in red there appears to be something black. By any chance, can you tell if the black is enamel? If so, that would be referred to as the bourlette, which is a diagnostic feature for Megalodon. The second image I attached shows a good example of the bourlette in Megalodon. If it’s not enamel, then that is certainly a Great White. The problem is that the bourlette is a thinner layer of enamel that can wear away, particularly when the root is damaged to the extent this one is. Awesome find either way though!
Preservation of teeth depends on the environment for fossilization, but density of the material is an important factor. Over my collecting life I have noticed that somewhere around 50% of all my Great White fossils lack a root. This one is no exception. Megalodon teeth roots seem to fossilize at a much higher rate. The roots are generally thicker and possibly structurally more prone to fossilization. Victor certainly is very observant to notice the possible bourlette and if that is the case, it would be definitive. I tend to think that this is definitely a Great White, though, as the serrations in the picture look to be a little courser and irregular than the finer megalodon serrations would be.
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