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Squalicorax pristodontus (Crow Shark)

The Crow shark is the most famous and most easily recognizable shark tooth from the Cretaceous. It is a striking example of convergent evolution, as its tooth morphology looks strikingly similar to that of the tiger sharks, especially Galeocerdo aduncus. S. pristodontus is the larger of the two species found in South Carolina, and they are very easily distinguished by their size alone. This is because S. pristodontus had fewer teeth in the jaw. Consequently, it also has less dental variation than S. kaupi. Size is the best way to distinguish between the species. There are certainly juvenile teeth of S. pristodontus, however they can be difficult to distinguish from S. kaupi.

Size: ~2cm (3/4 inch), with larger teeth uncommon

Scale: 1cm

Age: Late Cretaceous

Anterior

The anterior (frontal) teeth of S. pristodontus are, generally, the same height and width . These teeth are uncommon, and anterior is the most common position.