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Size Matters - Shape Matters Too

  

   Width  ?  Height  ?  Slant Length          I'm confused!

   
   
How to measure a shark tooth --- WIDTH is measured across the widest part of the tooth.  HEIGHT is measured from the point of the tooth (the dangerous end) up to an imaginary line that connects the top of the two root tips.  SLANT LENGTH is the measurment most commonly used in the "world" of shark tooth collectors and dealers.  It is the distance from the point of the tooth, up to whichever root tip creates the greatest measurement (left or right, you choose).  The term "slant length" is sometimes shortened and simply called the tooth's "length."

"Slant length" can be deceiving though, when comparing teeth of different shapes.  The three triangle shapes above represent shark teeth with VERY DIFFERENT "slant lengths."  But all three teeth have the same "area" (space within the triangular shape) and therefore appear approximately the same "size," despite their different shapes.  Shape 2 is wider and shorter than shape 1, while shape 3 is narrower and longer.  Teeth from different species or from different positions in the shark's jaw will have different shapes.