GIANT FOSSIL SHARK TOOTH
Carcharocles megalodon
Miocene
Beaufort Co., South Carolina
Similar to today's modern great white shark (although unrelated), Megalodon was the undisputed apex predator of the Miocene oceans, growing up to the length of a Greyhound bus. Having a cartilaginous skeleton, all that remains to us of this monster are its teeth. Most of these found are only 3 to 4 inches in length; those over 5 inches are in great demand; but the magic number is 6 inches, a size which every collector aspires to own. This is an enormous 6 3/8 inches long, recovered at great personal risk from the zero-visibility muddy waters of Beaufort Sound which have claimed more than one life. Using the standard method of estimating the size of the creature from the length of its teeth, this would have belonged to a behemoth over 60 feet in length. Complete and in fine condition with no restoration, it displays only a few small cracks, with fine sharp serrations, and an attractive brown, green and gray patina in attractive contrast to the heavy black root, presented on a custom mahogany display stand with plaque.