How To Identify Your Finds (Part 5 of 10)
4) Identifying the Palaeohypotodus rutoti teeth
[Palaeohypotodus rutoti (pronounced "pay-lee-o-hippo-toad-us roo-tote-eye") is yet another extinct Sand Tiger shark. It also belongs to the order Lamniformes, family Otodontidae. Lamniformes are commonly known as mackerel sharks] If you set aside any teeth with 'wrinkles' earlier in step 3, item iii, these will be P. Rutoti. Palaeohypotodus rutoti are the third commonest at Beltinge. In my experience, they make up around 5 -10% of finds, and are worth looking out for as they're quite impressive (especially through a hand lens). Important details:
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- Lingual 'wrinkling' or 'stitching' along the base of the blade (see figure 1). Tends to be less prominent in adults though.
- Anterior teeth are long, slender, sigmoidal and upright; laterals tend to be shorter, relatively wider at the base, and lean toward the back of the jaw.
- The crown is smooth-edged, flat on labial side, rounded on lingual side. The cutting edge extends to the cusplets.
- Multiple, triangular cusplets (where intact) either side of the blade. This is true of anteriors and laterals.
- The root is strongly bi-lobed. Well separated. Large lingual protuberance. Transition between root lobes is often curved (see picture above) rather than angular or flat.
More pictures of Palaeohypotodus rutoti can be found here and here.
How To Identify Your Finds (Part 6 of 10) - Odontaspis winkleri
How To Identify Your Finds (Part 6 of 10) - Odontaspis winkleri