Bigeye Thresher
Alopias superciliosus (Lowe)

Age - Miocene  Commonality - Very uncommon - Scarce

The fossil teeth of Alopias superciliosus are the rarest of the three thresher sharks found in Monmouth County, NJ. A. superciliosus is similar to the slightly more common Alopias latidens but is a more slender species. I personally don’t find this a striking difference unless you’re comparing examples of the two species side by. A more definitive characteristic of A. superciliosus is the presence of a deep nutrient grove. In A. Latidens this nutrient grove is absent or at best very faint.

 


 

Alopias superciliosus
Left - Anterior Right - Lateral
Anterior tooth measures 1/2 inch on the diagonal.
Monmouth County, NJ. 
 


 

Close up of  lateral.
Alopias superciliosus shares some similar traits with the other threshers
the concave basal root margin (A) and and lack of cusplets (B).
 


 


Plate II
Alopias superciliosus Lateral


 


Plate III
Alopias superciliosus Anterior
 

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