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Carcharodon
Megalodon: The Largest Shark That Ever Lived
Carcharodon
Megalodon reigned supreme as the largest and deadliest predator in the
ancient Miocene ocean.
The powerful, monstrous jaws of the Megalodon were filled with multiple rows of thick rooted and incredibly
strong, razor sharp teeth, that allowed it to feed on the largest whales
and even other prehistoric sharks.
An
early ancestor of the "Great White Shark" the Carcharodon Megalodon
was a true monster compared to any modern shark. The Megalodon
grew to terrifyingly huge proportions. An full sized adult could
easily be 60 feet in length (sometimes more) with a span of 30 feet
across its pectoral fins and a dorsal fin nearly six feet tall.
To visualize the incredible size of this monster, imagine a semi-truck
with a mouth full of rows of razor sharp 6 to seven inch teeth.
The Carcharodon Megalodon was the
true terror of the ancient seas.
This exceptional four inch fossil tooth
was likely from a 35 to 40 foot Megalodon. Still considerably
larger then today's giant 20 foot Great White Sharks.
This outstanding tooth was
recovered by divers working 20 foot deep Miocene deposits in a coastal
river in South Carolina.
The Miocene Period occurred 22 to 7 million years ago.
Ten Million Year Old Perfection
This
rare "Connoisseur-Grade" Carcharodon Megalodon tooth measures
2 1/8" and is from a relatively small 20 or 25 foot juvenile Megalodon
shark.
The tooth is in near perfect condition and has very sharp serrations, a
complete root, full enamel and bourlette (the chevron above the
enamel).
Fossil teeth in this astonishing condition are quite rare and this one
is a real treasure, especially considering it is around 10 million years
old. This
tooth lay undisturbed for several million years in the sediments of the
Manatee River, in South Florida.
The
Manatee is a very tannic river with poor visibility, the brave diver who
found this tooth did it mostly by feel, groping the bottom while trying
to stay clear of the numerous alligators living in the river.
Carcharocles Angustidens
 Small but perfect 30 million year old
Carcharocles Angustidens fossil tooth.
Very colorful, in excellent condition and still quite sharp after
millions of years.
Carcharias
Carcharias, better known as the Sand Tiger Shark, first appeared
on the planet during the Miocene period.
The
ancient shark, much like today's various species of Sand Tiger, was primarily
a bottom feeding shark that feed on a wide assortment of fish, squid and
shrimp. This shark is a fairly large predator and can grow to
about 12 feet. The Sand Tiger's teeth are long, slender, and sharp, but
varies slightly between species (it is highly likely that these 3 teeth
are not all from the same subspecies).
These
near perfect, fossilized Sand Tiger shark teeth were found in Miocene
deposits and exhibit a range of nice colors.
Lamna
 Another
small but colorful and flawless fossil shark tooth from a 5 or 6 foot, extinct Lamna.
The Lamna was the early ancestor of the Mackerel shark.
All content
in the Fossil Layer by: Dr. Von Zuko
2006©
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The
Carcharocles Angustidens shark is a direct ancestor of the great
Carcharodon Megalodon shark. 