Conical, not blade-like
A Spinosaurus tooth is round in cross-section and tapers evenly to a point, with fine vertical flutes along the enamel. A flattened, coarsely serrated tooth belongs to another animal.
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
How to recognise a Spinosaurus tooth before buying
A guide to the conical teeth of this Cretaceous dinosaur and the evidence a listing should show.
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was a river hunter: sail-backed, crocodile-jawed, and larger than Tyrannosaurus. Its conical, lightly fluted teeth were built to hold slippery prey rather than slice it.
Material attributed to Spinosaurus is often associated with the Kem Kem beds of south-eastern Morocco. That attribution and the condition must be supported by the record for each isolated tooth.
- Age
- 100–94 million years
- Period
- Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
- Frequently cited formation
- Kem Kem beds; verify each piece
- Typical size
- 4–9 cm crown
Coming soon
Spinosaurus Specimens
Coming soon
Spinosaurus will be available in this collection soon.
Before you buy
Judging a Spinosaurus tooth
Composite roots need scrutiny
Kem Kem material is often sold with a root glued on from another specimen. A careful listing distinguishes an isolated crown, an original root and a composite tooth.
A true dinosaur
Mosasaurus and plesiosaurs were marine reptiles, not dinosaurs. Spinosaurus is the one animal here that actually was one.
