Why Fossilized Shark Teeth Are Suddenly Washing Up In Rhode Island
A rare streak of ancient shark tooth discoveries in Rhode Island has puzzled scientists, and the ... More public is now part of the search.
The sun was warm on the little one's back as she crouched near the water's edge, her small hands digging through damp sand and scattered shells. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just nice rocks to decorate her sand castle with or a really pretty shell if she was lucky. But then her fingers brushed against something hard and oddly shaped. She pulled it out, brushing it off with sandy palms. It was dark, sharp, and shaped like a triangle. 'Mom! Dad!' she shouted, running barefoot across the beach, the treasure clutched tightly in her fist. Her parents turned, expecting a seashell or maybe a piece of driftwood. But when their child opened her hand, their eyes widened. 'That's a shark tooth!' her dad said, crouching down for a closer look. Her grin stretched wide as she held it up for her mom and siblings to see.
It's a tale as old as time, finding shark teeth buried in the sand at one's local beach. Personally, I have half a dozen shark teeth in a jar sitting on a shelf in my office. But this shark tooth the little girl picked up was no ordinary shark tooth. And the tale is getting… stranger… over at one particular beach in Rhode Island. Over the past year, at least seven fossilized shark teeth (some more than 10,000 years old!) have turned up on a small stretch of Narragansett Town Beach. That kind of find is rare anywhere, let alone in such a short window of time and in one location. Scientists are stumped. So, the Atlantic Shark Institute is asking beachgoers for help.
Everything all started last August when a six-year-old boy stumbled upon something unusual while collecting seashells. Amongst pretty shells and smooth rocks, he had picked up a fossilized tooth of a great white shark. Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, knew right away he was looking at something quiet ancient, since the size, shape and color gave the age away. He estimated the tooth to be at least 10,000 years old. Not long after that, someone else — a woman from South Kingstown — found a second fossilized great white tooth at the same beach. And since then, five more teeth have surfaced. In fact, apossible eighth is currently being analyzed!
Seven fossilized shark teeth have appeared at one stretch of Narragansett Beach, and scientists are ... More calling on beachgoers to help them learn why.
'We're not sure what's going on, but it's fascinating [that] the teeth are different sizes, shapes and colors,' Dodd said, suggesting they may come from different individuals, or even different time periods. The diversity of the teeth found has led to the scientist having more questions than answers, especially given that they've all been found on the same small patch of coastline. Because of this strange clustering, the Atlantic Shark Institute has posted signs around Narragansett alerting beachgoers to be on the lookout. If someone finds what looks like a fossilized shark tooth, 'It's your tooth to keep, not ours,' Dodd said. But they've asked that members of the public to take a photo and email it to info@atlanticshark.org along with where it was found. Gathering data on the size, shape and distribution of these fossils could help researchers piece together a better understanding of where they're coming from… and why they're showing up now.
Shark teeth are one of the most common vertebrate fossils on Earth. Sharks have thousands of teeth in their lifetimes, and they lose them frequently. But for a tooth to fossilize, it has to be quickly buried in sediment and protected from scavengers and the elements long enough to mineralize. That process can take thousands to millions of years, depending on the conditions. So when fossilized teeth do appear, they offer a snapshot of ancient marine ecosystems, as well as hints of the long-gone predator's behavior or migration patterns. Fossilized shark teeth are not impossible to find, but they're usually associated with places where ancient sediments are exposed, like riverbanks or quarries. Beaches aren't typically hotspots for these kinds of fossils unless something is disturbing the seafloor nearby and carrying the remains to shore. That's one possible explanation, but researchers haven't landed on a firm answer just yet. Without more information, it's hard to know whether this is a fluke or a sign of something larger. Maybe an underwater landslide uncovered a fossil bed? Maybe wave patterns have changed, exposing previously buried layers of seafloor? Or maybe it's something else entirely. Until there's a better explanation, the team is relying on community science to help document the trend.
Whether it's finding fossils, snapping photos of wildlife or logging environmental changes, the line between scientists and citizens is becoming more collaborative. And in this case, beachgoers might be the key to unlocking a mystery that's been buried for thousands of years. So if you're heading to Narragansett Town Beach any time soon, don't just look at the waves. Look down at your feet. And if you're lucky enough to find one, take a picture and help science move one step closer to understanding what's happening under the sand.
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