Carcharias robusta

Name Meaning:  Sharpened/Ragged

Geologic Era:  Eocene

Estimated Range:  Worldwide

Size:  Generally about 2.5 meters long

Location Found:  Morocco

Extinction Date:  Early Eocene (this species), several Carcharias species alive in present day

Sharks have been, and still are, one of the most successful groups of animals on the planet.  They have not changed in terms of shape in millions of years.  This animal probably closely resembled its modern day counterpart, the Sand Tiger Shark.  This is a tooth from an extinct Sand Tiger.  Sharks continuously grow and shed teeth, and can easily go through hundreds, if not thousands, in their lifetimes.  These teeth are common finds in the sediments of Morocco, and are often sold in rock and gift shops.  This tooth is part of a Cretaceous-Eocene collection. 

Sand Tigers inhabit coastal areas and are often encountered by humans, though they are not considered dangerous.  Sand Tigers will generally try to get away from people that they encounter, though they can become aggressive when cornered or when competing for food.  Even if a Sand Tiger does attack a human, they not large enough to cause a fatality for people, though the nature of their teeth indicates they could give a nasty bit if so inclined.  A unique feature of Sand Tigers is that they can gulp air from the surface to maintain buoyancy.  They are the only shark species known to do this.  Sand Tigers are common sights in larger aquariums, as they are fairly docile for all their frightening appearance. 

Image Credits:

Modern Sand Tiger:  By Jeff Kubina from Columbia, Maryland – Shark, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6620160