Ptychodus whipplei Shark - Tooth #1

Ptychodus whipplei Shark - Tooth #1

The dark gray tooth of Ptychodus whipplei has a diameter of approximately 1 centimeter and is beautifully preserved. Ptychodus whipplei is an extinct shark species from the genus Ptychodus, which lived exclusively in the Late Cretaceous period. It was a so-called durophagous shark. This means that it fed on hard-shelled marine animals such as mussels, ammonites, and possibly sea turtles. Its teeth are massive, with a very high and thick crown that has a square to rectangular contour and is equipped with sharp, transverse ridges – ideal for crushing hard shells.