Tooth weight and body length of juvenile male northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus, collected on St. Paul Island, Alaska, from 1948 to 1984 were compared. The relationship between these variables was investigated for individual and combined age classes. A density‐dependent increase in mean tooth weight occurred during a decline in fur seal abundance. Consistent, though poorly understood, differences in tooth weight were found among males associated with different rookeries (breeding grounds). Storing the teeth for long periods may affect the weights, but such effects, if any, are too small to account for the changes observed. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved