Sharks are enigmatic creatures for one simple reason: unlike most fish, they lack a skeleton and are instead supported by cartilage. This material fossilizes poorly, leaving a scant fossil record to trace shark evolution. Sharks were one of the first fish to evolve multiple rows of teeth, which helped keep their jaws fully stocked when on the hunt for prey.

It is with these teeth that paleontologists can reconstruct the shark's vast evolutionary tree. The oldest shark teeth are rarer and show greater abrasion, suggesting these early sharks kept their teeth for longer. As time wore on, sharks began to shed more teeth throughout their lives, leaving behind a vast fossil record.

These Fossil Shark Tooth Pendants are an amazing testament to these incredible fish. Each pendant is fashioned from a fossil tooth of a prehistoric shark, set into sterling silver. The pendants come in two sizes: a small size measuring 1" - 1.3" and a medium size measuring 1.3" and beyond.

These incredible new pendants contain a fossilized shark tooth from one of two groups, the Otodontidae Megatooth and Lamnidae White Shark families. Witness the prehistoric forms of teeth, each packed with millions of years of evolutionary history.

Please note: Color and shape vary to some degree but the sample shown here is representative of all specimens. Also, as with all fossil teeth, there may be small cracks and other signs of repair in the enamel.

Early sharks had a number of advantages over the other fish that swam in the prehistoric seas. With their multiple rows of teeth, sharks could easily replace a lost tooth. Sharks also had the advantage of internal fertilization, allowing the fertilized egg to develop within the mother before being released. This feature protected young sharks from other predators, greatly increasing their population numbers

Sharks demonstrated an extremely hydrodynamic body plan, one that was far more speed-efficient than those of other fish. Twin dorsal and anal fins along the vertical side prevented sharks from swaying off to the side during swimming, while twin pectoral and pelvic fins prevented rolling movements. Coupled with their sleek, cylinder-shaped bodies, sharks could move faster and more efficiently than their prey, an important edge for these predators to stay a step ahead in the evolutionary arms race.

With their many evolutionary advantages, sharks quickly came to dominate their ecosystems, reaching their peak during the Carboniferous Period, 359 million years ago. In total, 45 distinct families of sharks lived at this time, many of whom would be wiped out in the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Those that survived were the deep-water lineages: the now-extinct hybodonts and the group that contains modern sharks, Selachimorpha. 

Among these more modern sharks was the Otodontidae family, also known as the megatoothed sharks. During the Paleocene Epoch, they emerged as apex predators, dominating the seas for nearly 60,000,000 years. Otodus obliquus was the first of these giant ocean predators, with vertebrae over 5 inches in diameter, and an estimated body length between 30 to 40 feet, the creature was nearly as long as a bus. 

The megatoothed sharks also included the fearsome Otodus megalodon, the largest known fish in Earth’s history with an average length of 33.5 feet (10.2 m).  Analysis suggests that Megalodon was likely an intelligent hunter, disabling whales by crushing flippers or piercing internal organs. Smaller marine mammals, like dolphins, seals, and manatees were obvious targets, but even the largest early whales were not safe from this enormous apex predator.

For a long time, the scientific consensus was that the modern great white sharks descended from the megatoothed sharks, based on their similar body shape and ecological roles. However, more recent studies have changed this opinion, as today’s great white sharks can be traced back to their Carcharodon ancestors during the Miocene Epoch, 23 million years ago. 

Ancestor mako shark species Carcharodon hastalis and the later Carcharodon hubbelli both share the great white’s tooth shape, albeit lacking the great white’s serrations. Over millions of years, new fossils show this species’ teeth gaining the jagged edge we see in shark teeth today, suggesting an evolution from makos and not Otodontidae, as had been thought.