This book, published by Egan Rees & Boyer, provides the reader with an excellent overview of Cretaceous through Pliocene fossil shark material from the Middle Atlantic States, particularly the Virginia-Maryland Region. Other than those that have access to an extensive research library, this could be viewed as the definitive publication on the region.

To my knowledge, Dr. Kent is not a paleontologist specializing in sharks -- the underlying factor that makes this book as useful as it is. Without the intellectual overhead of being a specialist in the field, Kent has brought to this publication the need to explain topics that might be viewed as superfluous to an expert. In addition, he could question identifications when called for. Most importantly, the isolated teeth that are the reward of a day's effort were put into perspective -- not only were identifications provided, but likely descriptions of the shark that shed them, the functionality of the dentitions that bore them and the time perspective of their deposition.

Fossil Sharks of the Chesapeake Bay Region is very well organized. Of particular collateral value are the appendices, notably twenty illustrated dentitions, a geological/depositional history of the region, including a species distribution over time, and a well written its glossary.

Lest these comments sound too good, I would point out two factors that detracted from the experience, one of which was created by me, not Dr. Kent. Most teeth were illustrated from a lingual perspective only. It is my opinion, that three views (lingual, labial and lateral) are necessary to properly convey a tooth's design. The other is largely the fault of this reader. Within the text, Kent would clearly point out differences of opinion, but illustrations would carry a single opinion. The narrow-toothed mako comes to mind -- in the illustration, it's I. desori, in the text I. desori or oxyrinchus, and the author seems to be leaning towards the later. I find the comments associated with illustrations to leave a stronger impression on the reader, and thus should fully reflect the author's opinion.

The regularity in which I pull this book from the shelf for reference purposes attests to it's usefulness. I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who has an interest in fossil sharks of the North Atlantic.

No longer available.