Marine reptiles
Framed marine reptile tooth
A compact tooth of a marine predator, with crown and root preserved together.
120 000 ₽ · In stock
- Size
- 6–7 cm
- Classification
- Marine reptiles, genus undetermined
- Habitat
- Seas of ancient epochs, open water
- Ref.
- R–0656
At six to seven centimetres long, the tooth retains every feature of its type. The dark brown conical crown is glossy and gently curved, while the pale bony root, thick and rough, is noticeably longer than the crown. The form is compact and clear, free of superfluous detail.
Its owner, a large marine reptile, was among the predators of the ancient seas. The smooth cone, lacking cutting edges, worked like a hook, holding slippery fish fast while the jaws closed. The teeth were set in the jaw on massive roots and were replaced throughout life, so that a great many succeeded one another over the animal's lifetime.
Six to seven centimetres is the most intimate size in the series, and it includes three such teeth. The modest scale takes nothing from what matters most: crown and root are united in a single tooth, which is rarer than isolated crowns. It is at its finest seen up close, where both the gloss of the crown and the porous texture of the bone come into view.
In life
The marine reptile rose from the depths to the surface to breathe, then dived again, searching for shoals of fish.