Teeth of the Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias) are common finds at Lee Creek. Unfortunately, Carcharias teeth are a splitter's dream. They vary in shape with jaw position, can have single or double cusplets on each root and can possess or lack striations on the lingual side of the blade. Based on these variances, mutiple species have been erected.

This species is the extant Sand tiger of today's oceans, and although omitted by some writers, is the likely candidate for the Yorktown Sand tiger teeth found at Aurora. Carcharias taurus has been reported from the Miocene/Pliocene. Splitters define it as being similar to C. acutissima with finer striations and a more robust blade — characteristics which are not always displayed in dentitions of extant species. The Lee Creek teeth in Fig. 1 are indistinguishable from the modern species.

Figure 1 shows four teeth which conform with the description of C. taurus by having large, fairly narrow, striated teeth. In the illustration there is an upper anterior, a 3rd upper anterior (note the tip pointing the "wrong" way), and an upper lateral. From left to right in the lower jaw, we have a lower lateral, a pathologic lower anterior (although not very apparent in this image, the blade is badly bent), and another lower anterior tooth.

Fig. 1 - aka Carcharias taurus lingual view of Yorktown specimens, The largest tooth in this image is 40mm in height.

Carcharias cuspidata (AGASSIZ, 1843)

Figure 2 depicts teeth of Carcharias cuspidata from the Pungo River formation. Teeth from this species are defined as having smooth lingual faces. The illustration shows an upper anterior, an upper lateral, a lower parasymphyseal (the species lacks a true symphyseal tooth), and a lower anterior tooth.

Fig. 2 - aka Carcharias cuspidata lingual view, Pungo River specimens. largest tooth in this image is 28mm in height.