FOSSILS OF NEW JERSEY |
Hammerhead Age - Miocene Commonality - Uncommon The hammerhead ( Sphyrna laevissima ) tooth is an unusual find in New Jersey. The teeth of this well known shark range in size from ¼ of an inch up to an inch, with the average being a little less than ½ inch. The cutting edge is smooth with a distinctive notch on the distal side often referred to as the “hammerhead notch”. The root posses a strong nutrient grove. I've found the teeth of Sphyrna laevissima tend to be on the smaller side in NJ and most will slip thru the standard 1/4 inch screening. Most of my examples have been found using a finer mesh screen.
Labial and lingual views of the same tooth
A pair of hammerheads collected from
Calvert Cliffs, MD.
Note the distinctive “hammerhead notch” and lack of
serrations on the crown. |