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RARE
GRADE 10
LATE EVOLVED
4.85 INCH MEGALODON
SHARK TOOTH
Beaufort - South Carolina, U.S.A.
MIOCENE
to PLIOCENE PERIOD: 23.3 - 1.81 million years ago This
fine grade large fossil shark tooth is from the jaws of a
huge Megalodon shark! This spectacular specimen is loaded with so
many features desired by advanced Megalodon tooth collectors.
Teeth like these are getting certainly harder to come by in today's
market. Current
and increasing future demand will never be satisfied by the dwindling
numbers of the truly top grade 10 specimens such as this beauty, hence
their constantly increasing prices each year.
This
large Megalodon tooth has a unique feature - the tiny processes on the side of the root lobes are believed to be anatomy unique to late
evolved Megalodon sharks. At a length approaching 5 inches, this
tooth would have come from a huge Megalodon shark exceeding 50 feet.
The enamel is a silvery blue green and a wonderful complimentary jet black bourlette.
Serrations show excellent sharp preservation with light natural feeding wear. Tip is
sharp and present. This is a LOWER JAW tooth. As the
lower teeth served to hold prey, the broad upper teeth acted like meat
saws, shearing off huge chunks of flesh from the Megalodon's victims. While most teeth of this size class are not very good quality, this
specimen has well-preserved features and is intact with its unique later
evolved anatomy making it a highly desirable tooth for the advanced
collector. Lower jaw teeth are found in much less numbers than
upper jaw teeth. Rare is the condition of the crown where it meets
the root. Many teeth this size have breakage or severe damage to
this delicate area but this is NOT the case with this specimen.
This specimen has absolutely NO
REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION.
Megalodon
teeth found in rivers are almost always heavily eroded and worn from the
high energy environment in which they were subjected to. They
usually have dull, sand-blasted enamel, peeling back from the
core. The roots are often damaged.
While we strictly avoid
Megalodon teeth with restoration or repair, Caveat emptor as
some
Megalodon teeth in many dealers' inventories in the larger sizes and
"seemingly" fine qualities have repair or restoration and this is not
often disclosed to the buyer accurately either because of
ignorance or dishonesty.
At a length of 52 feet
and weighing in excess of 60 tons, Carcharocles megalodon was the second
largest predator that ever existed on this planet, the largest being the
sperm whale. Megalodon was larger and heavier than T. rex.
Scientific reconstructions of this shark estimate the dorsal fin 5.5
feet tall, the pectoral fins at 10 feet in length and the tail over 12
feet high. If you were unfortunate enough to have a megalodon swim
over you, the pectoral fins would measure 30 feet from tip to tip with a
torso in excess of 10 feet thick! The jaws were so large that
this shark would be able to swallow a Rhinoceros whole. A
predator this size would have most likely fed on large marine
vertebrates, especially whales. Fossil teeth have been found in
excess of 7 inches in length! Megalodon teeth are similar in
geometry to the modern White Shark and scientists are still passionately
divided on the origin of the two species and if megalodon is related to
the modern white shark. It is also not fully understood why this
giant killer became extinct but we can all be glad it is. A day at
the beach just wouldn't be what it is today!
LARGE RARE LOWER JAW
TOOTH WITH WITH ANATOMY FROM A 'LATE EVOLVED'
MEGALODON SHARK
4.85" in
length on the diagonal edge
$1095
SH6-125
INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual
Item - One Only
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