Name/Title
Shark (teeth)Entry/Object ID
2011.57.39Description
Description: Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Lamniformes
Genus: Unknown
Common Name: Shark Teeth
Age: Unknown
Location: Shark Tooth Hill, near Bakersfield, CA
Description: Plaque with (16) specimens on a black velvet base. Two large specimens, and the remaining are small.
Physical Characteristics:
Sharks (superorder Selachimorpha) are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago.[1]
Since that time, sharks have diversified into 440 species, ranging in size from the small dwarf lanternshark, Etmopterus perryi, a deep sea species of only 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, to the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, the largest fish, which reaches approximately 12 metres (39 ft 4 in) and which feeds only on plankton, squid, and small fish by filter feeding. Sharks are found in all seas and are common down to depths of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). They generally do not live in freshwater, with a few exceptions such as the bull shark and the river shark which can live both in seawater and freshwater.[2] They breathe through five to seven gill slits. Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protects their skin from damage and parasites, and improves their fluid dynamics so the shark can move faster. They have several sets of replaceable teeth.[3]
Well-known species such as the great white shark, tiger shark, blue shark, mako shark, and the hammerhead are apex predators, at the top of the underwater food chain. Their extraordinary skills as predators fascinate and frighten humans, even as their survival is under serious threat from fishing and other human activities.
Genus: Unknown
Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Lamniformes
Phylum: ChordataCollection
Museum Collection of FossilsAcquisition
Accession
2011.57Source or Donor
Museum Collection of FossilsAcquisition Method
Long-term LoanDimensions
Width
6-1/2 inDepth
3/8 inLength
8 inLocation
Location
Container
CenterDrawer
Front Row / BottomShelf
LeftCabinet
Case # 49Wall
NorthRoom
Delmar Smith HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
Permanent