Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1996

Abstract

The teeth of the Great White Shark have been examined to ascertain whether there is any commonality in the arrangement or number of the marginal serrations (peaks) or, indeed, whether individual sharks have a unique pattern of shapes or size of the peaks. The teeth of the White Shark are characteristic in size and shape with serrations along almost the entire mesial and distal margins. This study has revealed no consistent pattern of size or arrangement of the marginal serrations that was sufficiently characteristic within an individual shark to serve as a reliable index of identification of a tooth as originating from that particular shark. Nonetheless, the serrations are sufficiently distinctive to enable the potential identification of an individual tooth as having been the cause of a particular bitemark.

Keywords

Carcharodon carcharias Identification Shark bites Sharks Teeth animal tissue article bite forensic identification forensic science morphology nonhuman priority journal shark tooth Animals Bites and Stings Dentition Forensic Dentistry

Divisions

GeneralDentalPracticeAndOralMaxillofacialImaging

Publication Title

Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology

Volume

14

Issue

1

Additional Information

Cited By (since 1996): 5 Export Date: 30 September 2012 Source: Scopus- CODEN: JFOSE PubMed ID: 9227074 Language of Original Document: English Correspondence Address: Nambiar, P.; The Forensic Odontology Unit, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia

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