# Tell me about the shark's tooth I found

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962 "2006-05-16T11:55:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962/1 "2006-05-16T11:55:31Z")

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I was walking along Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this weekend and found a shark’s tooth. I used to come here as a kid and I used to find them pretty frequently then too.

I began to wonder, did this tooth fall out recently? This week? This year? Or is it likely to be much older?

It is all black, like every other shark’s tooth I have found. It has a significant portion of the “jaw” or “gum” still attached.

My thought is that if it were very old at all, it would have been pulverized by the waves into so many bits of black sand…

Any help?

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962/2 "2006-05-16T12:02:17Z")

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Because most sharks shed their teeth continously it is likely that your tooth is fairly new. How sharp is it? The edges would be the first parts to wear.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962/3 "2006-05-16T13:20:10Z")

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If it’s black, doesn’t that mean it’s a fossil? I thought most sharks had pale-coloured teeth.

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**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962/4 "2006-05-16T17:22:05Z")

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As Mangetout pointed out, I would also venture a guess that it is fossil. Since I am not an expert on fossils, this link to [fossil shark teeth](http://www.mgs.md.gov/esic/brochures/sharks.html) could be a good starting point. Also note the link to the guide to fossil teeth near the bottom of the page.

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-the-sharks-tooth-i-found/356962/5 "2006-05-16T17:27:44Z")

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It probably came from San Jose, knocked out by an Oiler.