Whorl Tooth Shark Teeth in Matrix

KO-001 $172.00

(Acrylic Display Stand Included)

Until recently, very little was known about the unusual specimen called the whorl tooth shark (Helicoprion) except that the front teeth grew in a spiral containing up to 180 teeth. This cast is made from the specimen of the type genus, Helicoprion bessonovi, and was found in the Arta Beds in the Ural Region of Russia in 1899. New research has cast light on this 290 million year old mysterious species. First, by creating virtual reconstructions of the jaw in situ from high resolution CT scans, researchers now surmise the spiral of teeth fill the entire lower jaw with smaller teeth covering the upper jaw, which is believed to function as a cutting surface for the spiral teeth. Second, the whorl tooth shark may be more closely affiliated with the ratfish (Holocephalon). The Bone Clones® specimen contains 131 teeth. Courtesy of Dr. Gordon Hubbell.