Sokolovi (Auriculatus) Shark Tooth – Collector’s Fossil Treasure

This impressive fossil shark tooth features a large, sharply triangular crown, broad robust root and finely serrated cutting edges, giving it the distinctive appearance of an ancient megatooth shark. Its warm sandy-golden fossil coloration and substantial proportions make this a striking specimen from the Dakhla region of Morocco, preserving the remains of a formidable predator from the Eocene seas.

Specimen Details

✓ Species: Otodus sokolovi (Jaekel, 1895)
✓ Former Names: Carcharocles sokolovi, Otodus (Carcharocles) sokolowi
✓ Age: Late Eocene, approximately 40 million years old
✓ Location: Dakhla, Morocco
✓ Weight: 74 g
✓ Size: 93 mm left side | 82 mm right side, measured from base to tip at an angle | 65 mm wide

The Story Behind the Tooth

Around 40 million years ago, during the Late Eocene, Otodus sokolovi inhabited warm tropical and subtropical seas that covered large parts of what is now North Africa. Fossil deposits around Dakhla have produced a diverse assemblage of marine vertebrates, including sharks and the remains of ancient archaeocete whales. Researchers have specifically documented Otodus cf. sokolowi from the Dakhla deposits, with teeth reaching around 10 cm in height and characterised by large triangular crowns, regular serrations and lateral cusplets.

Otodus sokolovi is especially fascinating because of its position within the evolutionary history of the otodontid megatooth sharks. The species has historically been classified under several names, including Carcharocles sokolovi and Otodus (Carcharocles) sokolowi. Modern fossil references recognise Otodus sokolovi (Jaekel, 1895), while the older terminology remains common in fossil literature and collections. 

Its combination of a large triangular crown, serrated cutting edges and lateral cusplets represents an important stage in the development of the increasingly specialised teeth seen within this group. O. sokolovi is generally discussed alongside closely related Eocene forms such as O. auriculatus and O. angustidens, forming part of the broader evolutionary story that eventually leads to the enormous megalodon. The transition was gradual, and these species should not necessarily be presented as a simple, direct parent-to-offspring sequence. 

The Dakhla fossils are also significant because they preserve evidence of an ancient marine ecosystem that was very different from the landscape of the region today. Among the fossils found there are numerous shark species and archaeocete whales, providing a glimpse into the marine food webs of the Late Eocene. 

A Remarkable Chapter in the Rise of the Megasharks

For collectors, an Otodus sokolovi tooth offers more than an impressive fossil display. It represents a specific chapter in the evolutionary history of the megatooth sharks — the lineage that produced some of the largest predatory sharks ever to inhabit Earth's oceans.

This substantial Dakhla specimen brings that history into your collection in a form you can actually hold and examine: a beautifully preserved tooth from a giant prehistoric predator, fossilised for tens of millions of years.

Add this exceptional piece of prehistoric marine history to your collection and own a tangible chapter in the evolutionary story of the megasharks — millions of years before megalodon ruled the oceans.