Lee Creek: PCS Phosphate Mine, Aurora, NC

C. megalodon(Agassiz, 1843)
Megatoothed Shark
Go to the Megatooth Shark Gallery to learn more
Obviously, this is the most famous prehistoric shark. It has the largest teeth, was twice the size of a Great White, and included whales in its diet! They lived from the Miocene and became extinct in the Pliocene. I sure am glad they're dead!

Just how big was that shark your tooth came from? Click here to find out.

This is our biggest Aurora meg yet. It's a robust upper. Unfortunately, there is feeding damage to the tip.
It measures a hair over 4.5" across, and a hair over 5" tall, with a 6" slant height. It would probably have a 6 1/4" slant height if the tip was there.

Formation:

Yorktown fm.
Age:

2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

6" slant (152 mm)
Date:

This is a robust lower. There are a few chipped serrations however.

Click on the image to see it when found.
Formation:

Yorktown fm.
Age:

2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

4 7/8" slant (124 mm)
Date:

This is a decent sized tooth. However the serrations are chipped off. It has the look of a reworked fossil.

Click on the image to see it when found.
Formation:

Reworked from the Eastover fm.??
Age:

2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

4 5/8" slant (117 mm)
Date:

March 2007 TRIP

This is an upper tooth. The root has some damage done to it.

Click on the image to see it when found.
Formation:

Yorktown fm.
Age:

2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

4.5" slant (114 mm)
Date:

Here is a near perfect Aurora tooth.

Click on the image to see it when found.
Formation:

? Yorktown
Age:

5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

3 7/8" slant (98 mm)
Date:

I nice little tooth with some feeding damage.

Click on the image to see it when found.
Formation:

?Yorktown
Age:

2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

2 7/8" slant (73 mm)
Date:

March 2007 TRIP

Carcharodon carcharias(Linnaeus, 1758)
Great White Shark
This is the modern great white shark.
Go to the Great White Shark Gallery to learn more

Great Whites are difficult to find. They are regularly found in the James City Formation. However, the roots are Great Whites are thin and fragile. Because of this, the roots are often broken when found.
Formation:

?James City
Age:

Probably Pliocene or Pleistocene
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

1.75" (44mm)

The Galeocerdo genus
Tiger Sharks
Go to the Tiger Shark Gallery to learn more

Galeocerdo aduncus(Agassiz, 1843)
Extinct Tiger Shark
Identification based on Kent (1994) & Purdy et al (2001).
This species lived from the Oligocene into the Miocene.
Purdy et al (2001) believe G. aduncus is not available as a scientific name. However, until a new name is assigned, I will continue to refer to it as G. aduncus. This extinct species is much smaller than the extant (living) Tiger shark (G. cuvier).
These teeth are abundant in the Pungo River Formation.

Formation:

?Pungo River
Age:

?~18-22 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

largest is 11/16" (17mm)

Physogaleus contorus
Extinct Tiger-like Shark
Go to the Physogaleus Shark Gallery to learn more
Identification based on Kent (1994) & Purdy et al (2001).
This species of Tiger Shark is very common along the U.S. East Coast deposits, but rarely found along the U.S. West Coast deposits. This species Lived from the upper Oligocene and became extinct in the Miocene.
There are a few big differences between these and G. aduncus. First, the crowns are twisted, looking pathological, as shown in the profile view. Also, the enameloid shoulder has very fine serrations, unlike the coarse serrations of G. aduncus. This slender tooth form probably means the contortus fed on bony fish, while the aduncus and extant cuvier species fed on a wider variety of prey. This extinct species is also smaller than the extant (living) Tiger shark (G. cuvier).

The bottom right two are labial views. All others are lingual views.

Formation:Pungo River
Age:Roughly 18-22 m.y.
Location:PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size: largest one has a ~ 7/8" slant (22mm)

Galeocerdo cuvier(Peron and LeSueur, 1822)
Tiger Shark
Go to the Tiger Shark Gallery to learn more
This is the modern Tiger Shark. They obtained larger sizes than the other Tiger species.
At Aurora, this species only occurs in the Yorktown formation.

The rightmost two are labial views. All others are lingual views.

Formation:Yorktown
Age:Roughly 2.5-5 m.y.
Location:PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size: largest one has a ~1 1/4" slant (32mm)

Although tooth positions of tiger teeth appear very similar, the above image shows just how different tooth positions actually are.

The first left two are either symphysial or parasymphysial teeth. The right two teeth are posteriors.
Formation:Yorktown
Age:Roughly 2.5-5 m.y.
Location:PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size: largest one has a ~1 1/4" slant (32mm)

Hemipristis serra(Agassiz, 1843)
Extinct Snaggletooth Shark

The right upper tooth is a labial view. All others are lingual views.

Uppers and lowers are generally easy to distinguish form one another.

The lower rightmost tooth is a symphysial tooth.
Although these teeth can be found in both the Pungo River and Yorktown formations, the teeth found in the Yorktown are generally larger in size.
Formation:Pungo River and/or Yorktown
Age:Roughly 2.5-5 or 18-22 m.y.
Location:PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size: largest one is ~1 9/16" (40 mm)

Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) aka Hexanchus gigas (Sismonda, 1857)
Sixgill Cow Shark

This is an outstanding lower Hexanchus tooth.

Click on the image to see it when found.

Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~ 1 5/8" (41mm) Date:

The teeth of this shark are fragile and are often found broken, like the one in this image. Sadly, the conules are missing on this specimen.
Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~ 1 1/8"" (27mm) Date:

Cosmopolitodus & Isurus
White Sharks and Mako Sharks
Cosmopolitodus to distinguish them from "true" Makos.

Cosmopolitodus (Isurus) hastalis(Agassiz, 1843) Extinct Giant Mako Shark

Here are two C. hastalis teeth
Formation:

?Pungo River
Age:

~ 18-20 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

Largest one has a 1 7/8" slant" (48mm)

These are a few smaller ones.
Formation:

?Pungo River
Age:

~ 18-20 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

Largest one is 1 5/16" (39mm)

Cosmopolitodus (Isurus) xiphodon
Extinct Giant White Shark

This is a perfect large specimen!

Click on the image to see it as found.
Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5 - 5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

2 3/4" (70mm) slant
Date:

This is a beauty. The enameloid shoulders are slightly chipped, but the blade is razor sharp!

Click on the image to see it as found.
Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5 - 5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

2 3/8" (60mm) slant
Date:

March 2003

Here are two that have a slant height of slightly over 2"

Click on the pic to see them when found.
Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5 - 5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

2 1/16" (52mm) slant
Date:

Largest one was found on the September 2008 TRIP

Here are two C. xiphodons found in Yorktown sediments about 10 feet from one another.

Click on the image to see one as found. Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5 - 5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~ 2" slant (51mm)
Date:

Sept 2005 TRIP

Here are some additional upper and lower mako teeth.

Formation:

Yorktown (Black one was found mixed in with Pungo tailings)
Age:

Roughly 2.5 - 5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

Largest is 2 5/16" slant (58mm)
Date:

Isurus oxyrinchus aka desori
Shortfin Mako Shark

Formation:

Pungo River or Yorktown
Age:

Early - Middle Miocene ~ 18-15 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:2" (51mm)

Formation:

Pungo River or Yorktown
Age:

Early - Middle Miocene ~ 18-15 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

largest tooth is 2" (51mm)

This is an upper anterior tooth
Formation:

Pungo River
Age:

Early - Middle Miocene ~ 18-15 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

largest tooth is 1 9/16" (39mm)
Date:

Sept. 2008 Trip

This is an upper lateral tooth
Formation:

Pungo River
Age:

Early - Middle Miocene ~ 18-15 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

largest tooth is 1 1/4" (31mm)
Date:

Sept. 2008 Trip

Notorhynchus cepedianus (Peron, 1807) aka primigenius (Agassiz, 1843)
Sevengill Cow Shark

N. cepedianus teeth are common in both the Pungo River and Yorktown formations.
Their roots are fragile and are often found broken, as the two lateral teeth in the image show.
Formation:

Pungo River and/or Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5-5 or 18-22 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

largest one is 1 3/4" (44mm)

N. cepedianus
Here is a beautiful complete cow shark

Formation:

Pungo River
Age:

Roughly 18-22 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~1" (25mm)
Date:

Sept 2008 TRIP

N. cepedianus
Here is another complete cow shark

Click on the image to see it as found.
Formation:

Pungo River
Age:

Roughly 18-22 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~1" (25mm)
Date:

N. cepedianus
And yet another complete one

Click on the image to see it as found.
Formation:

Pungo River and/or Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5-5 or 18-22 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~ 1 1/8" (27mm)
Date:

N. cepedianus
Another example tooth

Formation:

Yorktown
Age:

Roughly 2.5-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~ 1 1/8" (27mm)
Date:

Feb 2009 TRIP

Sphyrna sp.(Rafinesque, 1810)
Hammerhead Shark
Go to the Hammerhead Shark Gallery to learn more
There are three species of Hammerhead found at Aurora, S. lewini (Scalloped Hammerhead) , S. cf. S. media (Scoophead), and S. zygaena (Smooth Hammerhead). All three species found at aurora are extant (living today).

Formation:

?Pungo River
Age:

?~18-22 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

~1/2" slant height (12mm)

Other Shark Parts

Vertebrae

Shark vertebrae come in all sizes, and are found in both the Yorktown and the Pungo.
Formation:

Pungo River and Yorktown
Age:

~ 2.5 - 5 & ~ 18-15 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

Largest is 5/8" thick, and has a 1 5/8" diameter (41mm x 16mm)

Here is another shark vertebra. Not all shark vertebra are thin and disk like.
Formation:

?Yorktown
Age:

~ 2.5 - 5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Size:

1.5" (38mm)

Rostral Node
This is a structure in the sharks snout that can sometimes fossilize.

It looks like a Mr. Potato Head nose
Formation:

?
Age:

~ 18-15 or 2-5 m.y.
Location:

PCS Mine, Aurora, NC
Date: