Fossil Stingray Teeth

Did you know that stingrays have teeth?

This week’s #DignayanBiyernes features a tiny yet fascinating piece of fossil from the National Paleontological Collection. Let us learn today about the fossilized teeth of a stingray.

This small piece is a fragment of a stingray tooth. It was collected by #NationalMuseumPH researchers from Candoni, Negros Occidental in 2017. This collection was part of the joint fieldwork of the NMP and paleontologists from the National Museum of Nature and Science in Japan. It was found together with many other marine fossils like coral fragments, oyster shells, and various clams and snails. 

In other countries, fossils of stingray teeth are very common. Oftentimes, they are found together with shark teeth. A complete skeleton fossil of a stingray however is quite rare. They are mostly from the older or extinct species of stingray. 

Stingrays are cartilaginous fishes like a shark. This means that their skeleton is not made of bones but cartilage. They are generally marine creatures from tropical or subtropical regions. Their teeth are modified scales that are regularly replaced. Today, different stingray species are becoming more threatened and vulnerable to extinction. The IUCN listed the common stingray as a vulnerable species while a few other species are in much more critical status. 

Find this fossil and more at the Life Through Time Galley of the NMNH. Book your tour through this website.

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Text and image by the NMP Geology and Paleontology Division

© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)