Megalosaurus Dinosaur Tooth
"from the first described dinosaur"

This is a tooth from the dinosaur Megalosaurus bucklandi from the Middle Cretaceous Bathonian Stage deposits of the Taynton Stone, Oxfordshire, United Kigdom. The tooth's fine serrations attest to the meat-eating habits of this dinosaur. Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be scientifically described. This was by William Buckland and W. D. Conybeare in 1824, making this a significant historical specimen. Originally, only the genus was assigned and some eight years later the species name was given in Buckland’s honor.

Richard Owen coined the term dinosaur, and recognized that Megalosaurus was indeed one of these “fearfully great reptiles” Like most dinosaur teeth found, this one was shed. Dinosaurs continually replaced their teeth so as to keep a sharp set always deployed. This Megalosaurus tooth came from a large animal. Magalosaurus is believed to have reached a maximum length of some eight meters making it a terror in its domain.

Reference: William Buckland. "Notice on the Megalosaurus or great Fossil Lizard of Stonesfield." Transactions of the Geological Society of London, series 2, vol. 1 (1824), pages 390–396.