Shark teeth

What is it?

Sharks shed teeth continually throughout life, so teeth vastly outnumber any other shark remains. In Britain they are most often collected from the Eocene clays and sands of the Hampshire and London Basins and from the Pliocene Red Crag of East Anglia, where the enamel survives as dark, glassy triangles.

What does it look like?

Typically 5–30 mm, triangular, with a glossy enamel crown that is usually darker than the surrounding sand — black, grey, brown or slate blue — and a duller root beneath.

How to identify it

1. 01Enamel stays shiny when dry; a wet pebble that dulls as it dries is not a tooth.
2. 02Look for the straight join between the shiny crown and the matt root.
3. 03Search fine shingle and the sand just below it on a falling tide, working slowly over a small patch rather than covering distance.
4. 04A sieve with 3–5 mm mesh transforms results on shell-rich beaches.

Where to find shark teeth in the UK

Regions

• Fossil hunting in Somerset
• Fossil hunting in Gloucestershire and the Severn
• Fossil hunting in Hampshire
• Fossil hunting in Sussex
• Fossil hunting in Kent
• Fossil hunting in Essex
• Fossil hunting in Suffolk
• Fossil hunting in Wales

Related guides

• Beginner's guide to fossil hunting
• What to look for when fossil hunting
• What stones to look for when fossil hunting
• Where to go fossil hunting
• Where to go fossil hunting near me
• What to take fossil hunting
• Best fossil hunting beaches in the UK
• Where to find shark teeth in the UK
• Fossil hunting with children