UNCOMMONLY LARGE FOSSIL SHARK'S TOOTH. ...

Description

UNCOMMONLY LARGE FOSSIL SHARK'S TOOTH
Carcharocles megalodon
Miocene
Morgan River, South Carolina, USA
Amongst the most prized specimens for the prehistoric collector are the fearsome teeth of the giant Megalodon, an enormous and deadly forerunner of today's Great White Shark . These teeth are similar to those of its modern cousin, but considerably larger. The present specimen came from a real monster. Megalodon was the largest carnivorous fish ever to have swum the oceans of our planet, and at over 50 feet in length, its mouth bristling with rows of these monstrous tearing and rending tools, a terrifying beast to encounter in the briny deep. Although their relation to today's sharks is in some doubt, they shared with them the characteristic cartilaginous skeleton; apart from exceptional circumstances, cartilage is not preserved in the fossil record, and so their amazing teeth are all that remain to us of this great hunter. The present specimen is perfectly symmetrical, with almost full enamel coverage worn over time to a smooth texture with deep parallel grooves and a beautiful gray-black patination. It measures 6 inches long and shows excellent preservation, right down to the tiny serrations along each side which give some idea as to how efficient a cutting tool even one of these teeth would be, never mind a mouth full of them.

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