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MEGALODON LOWER TOOTH - Morgan River, South Carolina, U.S.A. MIOCENE to PLIOCENE PERIOD: 23.3 - 1.81 million years ago Only the most experienced and bravest divers venture into the pure black and extreme depths (80 feet and more) of the Morgan River, where this fossil Megalodon tooth came from. With its shiny jet black enamel, this is a nice example of an anterior lower jaw tooth, the leading tooth in the Megalodon's jaw. The slender teeth of the front of the lower jaw are found in less abundance than the upper teeth. These teeth served to impale and hold the Megalodon's prey as the broad upper teeth bit down and sliced large chunks of flesh off the shark's unfortunate victim. The tip and serrations feature slight natural feeding wear and damage from numerous meals. This is expected for a tooth that was relied upon for all of the initial brute force killing of prey. Root is complete, intact and remarkably well-preserved with excellent density. We guarantee that this fine specimen has absolutely NO REPAIR AND NO RESTORATION. It is our policy to fully disclose ALL information about our Megalodon teeth and we refuse to sell ANY modified or restored teeth. We acquire our teeth directly from divers as well as conduct our own field collecting trips. This coupled with the fact that we carefully inspect each tooth prior to sale allows us to ACCURATELY and fully inform you of the fossil's condition. Megalodon teeth found in rivers are almost always heavily eroded and worn from the high energy environment in which they were subjected to. Quality Megalodon teeth from a water environment are rare. They usually have dull, sand-blasted enamel, peeling back from the core. The roots are often severely damaged. River sources in the United States, the home of most of the largest and finest teeth in the world, are producing less and less numbers of the fine Megalodon teeth. With such a passionate collector following, excellent examples of fossil Megalodon shark teeth are perhaps one of the fastest and consistently appreciating fossils as supply continues towards exhaustion fueled by an insatiable collector demand.
EXCELLENT INTACT EXAMPLE FROM THIS RARE POSITION IN THE JAW 4.5" in length on the diagonal edge x 3" wide SOLD SH6-001 INCLUDES DISPLAY BOX Actual Item - One Only |
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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!