We think its a tooth from a fish

by Michelle and Pierre
(Western S. Dakota)

We were walking on the shore of a lake, which was very low due to lack of rain, in the sand we found numerous teeth like this one and many sharp teeth too

Comments for We think its a tooth from a fish

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Ptychodus
by: Michael

It is a fish tooth, more precisely that of the shell-crushing shark "Ptychodus", which was a common element of the Late Cretaceous fauna worldwide. The fish would have sported a whole palate covered with an array of similar teeth, which it used to crush the molluscs, etc upon which it fed.

Fish teeth
by: Linda Greene

It doesn't look like a fish to's to me, it's a little too big. Looks more like a molar maybe from a deer? I would be interested in knowing what you find out if you contact that museum

Fish Teeth
by: Doug

Fish tooth is a reasonable guess. I am not familiar with this area.

One often overlooked resource for information is from local rockhounds. You might try checking the following:

The local rock shop would be a good place to start.

The local Gem, Mineral and rock club has members that will be knowledgeable about your find. Most clubs have websites with contact information.

The paleontology dept of the nearest college would be another place to find help.

If you live in Western S. Dakota there is a museum in Hill City called The Black Hills Institute of Geological Research. It is one of the best natural history museums I have been to. Contact them through their website.I am sure that someone there will be able to identify your specimen.

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