Ptychodus was a genus of shell crushing sharks that lived during the Cretaceous. Like all sharks they are best known from their teeth since much of their skeleton is made from cartilage rather than bone. Since they crushed shells rather than rend flesh their teeth were more flattened like a modern ray or skate.
Here is a link, to a page on the Oceans of Kansas website with more information on these sharks and pictures of articulated sets of teeth.
This is a tooth from a Ptychodus whipplei that was found in the Atco formation (Cretaceous, Santonian stage)near Prosper Texas.
This smaller tooth is from a different species called P. anonymous. It came from the Arcadia Park formation (Cretaceous, Turonian stage) near Dallas Texas.
Both of these fossils were among a group that I won on
Fossil Forum site. Thanks to Travis for sending me these shark teeth.
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