Great White Sharks Reveal a Lifetime of Teeth Transformation
Researchers examined nearly 100 great white sharks and found that tooth shape changes dramatically along the jaw and as sharks grow. Juvenile teeth are slim with cusplets for gripping small prey; around 3 meters in length they become broader, thicker, and serrated, while cusplets disappear. Lower teeth grab and hold prey, upper teeth slice and dismember, forming a coordinated feeding system. Teeth are constantly replaced, letting the bite reflect a shark’s dietary shift from fish and squid to marine mammals as it matures; the study provides a jaw-wide view of dental evolution across development.