Cappetta & Nolf (2005) erected this genus for teeth previously ascribed to Carcharias teretidens. First described by White (1931) as Odontapsis (synodontaspis) cuspidata (Agassiz), praemut. teritidens, Nolf (1986) ascribed them to Synodontaspis teritidens where they remained until the 1987 ICZN ruling; thereafter they were attributed to Carcharias.

Teeth now referred to as Sylvestrilamia teretidens have been reported from the Palaeocene and early Eocene of Western Europe and North America. In the Chesapeake Bay region, they have been reported by Kent (1994) from the Aquia (Upper Palaeocene) and Kent (1999) from the Nanjemoy (Early Eocene - Ypresian) Formations.

Within these Western Atlantic Paleogene sediments, there are five reported sand tiger-like taxa that bear or may bear striations on their lingual crown face: Anomotodon novus (WINKLER 1874) (a goblin shark), Barchycarcharias lerichei (CASIER, 1946), Striatolamia spp., Sylvestrilamia teretidens (WHITE, 1931) and the mysterious (at least to us) "Carcharias" whitei (ARAMBOURG, 1952) which was not addressed by Cappetta & Nolf (2005). For identification purposes, the lack of cusplets (Anomotodon) and multiple cusplets per side (Barchycarcharias) helps to exclude many possiblities. Most Striatolamia tooth-positions are quite distinct, further narrowing the possibilities. Using this filtering process, likely candidates for teretidens-like teeth can be established.

Written descriptions (i.e., Kent or Cappetta & Nolf) of these and most teeth are usually of marginal value and only serve well when accompanied by images that will allow the reader to interpret ambiguous (slightly, relatively, obtuse, very, etc.) observations. The senior author is in the process of reconstructing a tooth-set; but the 'process of elimination' and the below images will need suffice at this time.

Selected References