Ancient seas, ca. 2 million years ago. A lovely example of a fossilized Megalodon tooth, of a triangular form with a tapered enamel portion and a stocky root. The enamel has taken on a dark-brown hue as a result of fossilization, and many of the original serrations still retain their texture, albeit nowhere near as sharp as when the animal was alive. Dozens of thin striations have developed across the upper enamel - another result of fossilization - and the root has several stable fissures. 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. Size: 4" W x 5.1" H (10.2 cm x 13 cm); 5.6" H (14.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: ex-private Charleston, South Carolina, USA collection
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#149559
Condition
Minor abrasions and fissures to enamel and root, with softening to some original serrations, otherwise intact and very good. Light earthen deposits within some recessed areas, and nice patina throughout.