SHARK TEETH

MOROCCO

FOSSIL SHARK TEETH OTODUS OBLIQUUS

Moroccan phosphate mines are a rich source of fossil shark teeth, particularly from the extinct Otodus obliquus, a relative of the Megalodon. These teeth, along with other marine fossils, are found in the phosphate deposits of the Khouribga region, dating back to the Cretaceous to Eocene ages.

Shark teeth are relics of shark evolution and biology, and as they are often the only part of the shark to survive fossilisation, represent much of the Selachimorpha fossil record, extending back hundreds of millions of years. The most ancient types of sharks date back to 450 million years ago during the Late Ordovician period, and they are mostly known from their fossilised teeth. The most common, however, are from the Cenozoic (65 million years ago). Sharks continually shed their teeth, and some Carchariniformes can shed approximately 35,000 teeth in a lifetime.