PREHISTORIC SHARK TOOTH. ...

Description

PREHISTORIC SHARK TOOTH
Carcharocles megalodon
Miocene
Suwanee River, Florida
In the ancient oceans of the Miocene epoch, 23-5 million years ago, one creature ruled the deep. The fearsome Megalodon was a giant shark-like fish, sharing many characteristics with today's Great White, including a cartilaginous skeleton. This has meant that next to nothing remains to us in the fossil record of these monstrous beasts apart from the enormous and deadly-looking teeth, much-prized by fossil collectors the world over. Divers must brave freezing and pitch black waters to grub for these marvels along muddy river beds and only a small number (15%) are discovered intact. At over fifty feet in length, the Megalodon was the largest carnivorous fish ever to hunt the earth's oceans, and just one specimen like this is enough to suggest what a horrifying sight a full jaw of these vicious triangular teeth would have been. The present example has been polished over its enamel coating and boasts a most attractive and unusual bi-colored patterning, lovely woody brown bordered by delicate creamy tan. It retains excellent definition to the innumerable tiny serrations along each edge and it measures 5 9/16 along the diagonal, a large and fine specimen.

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