Description
Genuine Teleosaurus Crocodile Tooth Fossil
This carefully chosen specimen is a genuine fossil tooth attributed to Teleosaurus sp., an extinct marine crocodile relative from the Middle Jurassic. It was recovered from the White Limestone Formation at Ardley Quarry, Ardley, Oxfordshire, UK, and dates from the Bathonian Stage, approximately 166–168 million years ago.
The specimen combines an identifiable fossil type with a recorded geological formation, age and British locality. These details give it excellent scientific, educational and collectable interest, making it suitable for collections of prehistoric reptiles, crocodile fossils, British Jurassic specimens and vertebrate palaeontology.
The photograph shows the exact fossil tooth you will receive. Full sizing and scale information can be seen in the accompanying photograph.
Middle Jurassic White Limestone Formation
The White Limestone Formation is a significant Middle Jurassic geological unit within the Great Oolite Group of southern and central England. Its rocks were deposited during the Bathonian Stage when the area now forming Oxfordshire was covered by a warm, shallow sea.
The formation primarily consists of pale limestone produced from carbonate-rich sediment accumulating on the ancient seabed. Conditions varied through time, creating environments that included shallow marine lagoons, carbonate platforms, tidal areas and more open stretches of coastal water.
These Jurassic habitats supported a varied ecosystem. Fossils preserved within the regional rocks can include bivalves, gastropods, brachiopods, echinoids, corals, fish and marine reptiles. Remains of animals living near the coast could also enter the marine environment through rivers, currents or the movement of carcasses and skeletal material.
After this tooth was lost or shed, it became buried within sediment on the Jurassic seabed. Continued deposition protected it from complete destruction. Over millions of years, mineral-rich groundwater, pressure and chemical alteration transformed the surrounding sediment into rock and preserved the tooth as a fossil.
Its colour, texture, mineral staining and any natural wear or incomplete areas are authentic results of its biological use, burial and fossilisation.
Teleosaurus Marine Crocodile Relative
Teleosaurus was a long-snouted crocodylomorph belonging to an extinct group of marine-adapted reptiles known as teleosauroids. These animals were distant relatives of modern crocodiles but developed body forms suited to life in coastal and shallow marine environments.
Teleosauroids generally possessed elongated jaws containing numerous pointed teeth. Their bodies were long and streamlined, with relatively short limbs and a powerful tail that assisted movement through the water. Bony armour plates, known as osteoderms, covered parts of the body and provided protection.
The long, narrow snout and numerous teeth suggest that many teleosauroids fed on fish and other small aquatic animals. The jaws could close rapidly around slippery prey, while the tooth shape helped grip rather than slice food.
As the specimen is recorded as Teleosaurus sp., it is identified to genus level without assigning it to a particular species. This preserves the accuracy of the identification while recognising its characteristic teleosauroid origin.
Jurassic Crocodile Tooth Characteristics
Crocodylomorph teeth were replaced repeatedly throughout an animal’s life. New teeth developed beneath older teeth and moved into position when worn or damaged examples were shed. Individual fossil teeth are therefore a natural and important part of the vertebrate fossil record.
A Teleosaurus-type tooth is typically conical and may be slightly curved, creating an effective structure for piercing and gripping prey. Depending on preservation, the crown may display fine longitudinal ridges, subtle enamel texture, a pointed apex or natural wear produced while the animal was alive.
Some fossil teeth preserve only the crown, while others may retain part of the root or the transition between the crown and root. Surface cracks, mineral-filled lines, worn tips and adhering limestone matrix can all occur naturally. These features record the tooth’s original use and the geological processes it experienced after burial.
Unlike the flattened, serrated teeth associated with many meat-eating dinosaurs, teleosauroid teeth were primarily adapted for holding aquatic prey. Their form provides direct evidence of feeding behaviour within Middle Jurassic marine ecosystems.
Ardley Quarry Fossil from Oxfordshire
Ardley Quarry is an important Jurassic geological locality in Oxfordshire. The quarry exposes sections of the Great Oolite Group, including the White Limestone Formation, and has produced a diverse range of fossils recording life in and around the Bathonian seas.
The locality is widely known for preserving evidence of both marine and terrestrial Jurassic animals. Its sedimentary rocks provide valuable information about ancient environments, changing water depths, carbonate deposition and the interaction between coastal habitats and nearby land.
A fossil retaining its locality and formation information has greater scientific and collectable value than a specimen without recorded provenance. This Teleosaurus tooth preserves a direct connection to a prehistoric reptile that inhabited the Oxfordshire region while dinosaurs lived on the surrounding land.
It would make a distinctive addition to a British fossil collection, prehistoric reptile display, geological study cabinet or educational collection focused on Jurassic life.
Actual Specimen with Certificate of Authenticity
This is a genuine fossil tooth and not a cast, replica or reproduction. It has been individually selected for its natural appearance, vertebrate palaeontology interest and documented geological origin.
The photograph shows the actual Teleosaurus sp. crocodile tooth fossil you will receive. Full sizing is shown in the photograph.
A generic Certificate of Authenticity card is included with a lifetime guarantee of authenticity, providing lasting confidence that this is a genuine Middle Jurassic fossil from the White Limestone Formation of Ardley Quarry, Oxfordshire.
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