Ancient Seas, Middle Miocene to end of Pliocene eras, ca. 28 to 1.5 million years ago. A remarkable fossilized tooth from the prehistoric megalodon shark boasting an impressively preserved serrated edge and a naturally lustrous, unpolished enamel. The root presents in a matte hue of taupe with mineral deposits and stable fissures from the fossilization process. The caramel-colored bourlette and almond-toned enamel boast a lustrous sheen - another lovely natural benefit of the fossilization process! - as the tooth rises to a tapered point above the root. Naturally adorned with vertical striations, the tooth displays a serrated edge that stretches from the end of the root to the tip of the enamel. Megalodons were among the largest predators the ocean ever saw, but their teeth are the only parts that have survived since their cartilage bodies could not fossilize. Interestingly, medieval people believed that these strange teeth were moon rocks or dragon's tongues! Size: 4.17" W x 5.2" H (10.6 cm x 13.2 cm)

Megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon, literally "big tooth"), thought to have become extinct 1.6 million years ago, is the largest known member of the shark family. Prior to 1666, when naturalist Nicolaus Steno studied shark teeth and realized the error, people believed that these teeth were moon rocks or dragon's tongues. Megalodon teeth are all that remain of these ancient creatures, whose skeletal structures - like those of all sharks - were made of cartilage and did not fossilize. Interestingly, a megalodon's age at death can be determined by the growth rings radiating from the centra of the tooth.

Provenance: private Waleska, Georgia, USA collection

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#181710

Some minor chipping to root, as well as natural fissures and mineral deposits from the fossilization process. Otherwise, intact and excellent with great preservation of serrations and smooth, unpolished surface to enamel.