Fossil Shark Teeth in Alternative Traditional Medicine

Fossil invertebrates in amber inclusions and vertebrate animal remains are essential for the study of the evolution of life in a geologic context and have been used for centuries in alternative traditional medicine and folklore.In this context, sharks are components of medical folk tradition and a scientific question relevant in biomedicine.As addressed in this article, fossil shark teeth from different species, locations and epochs are common findings and have been used in palaeoichthyology and alternative traditional medicine based on their potential health beneficial properties and belief-based explanations.Although these folk traditions are not based on modern scientific evidence, ongoing research approaches shark teeth potential in novel biomedical applications.