The largest animal that ever lived is the modern Blue Whale. Blue Whales grow to an average of 80 feet in length. These enormous mammals eat tiny organisms, like plankton and krill. Fortunately for us, there are no predators alive today that come close to being that large, but once there was.
Millions of years ago a giant shark called the Carcharocles Megalodon swam the oceans. This shark grew to over 60 feet in length and had a mass of more than 50 tons. Compare that to the shark from the movie "JAWS" which would have been about 20 feet in length and had a mass of around 2 tons. It is mind boggling to imagine something that much larger than the most feared predator in the oceans today.
Scientists believe that the Megalodon shark evolved into existence around 20 Million years ago and became extinct two million to three million years ago. During this time, much of the east coast of the United States was underwater and still part of the Atlantic Ocean. The reason that they went away is somewhat of a mystery, but it is thought to be a result of climate changes or the scarcity of the giant sperm whale, which was their main food source.
A shark is composed mostly of cartilage that does not fossilize, so today, the only proof that we have that the Megalodon ever existed is their fossilized teeth. A picture of one of these teeth is shown below alongside a modern Great White tooth. These teeth are found in many areas of the world, but most of them come from coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Many are found in mines and pits that have been dug for various reasons. SCUBA divers diving in tidal rivers find the overwhelming majority of these teeth.
Megalodon teeth come in many different colors and average between 3”-5” in length. 5.5”-6” teeth are pretty rare, and 6”+ teeth are very sought after by collectors and extremely hard to find. A few lucky divers have found a 7” tooth, but that is kind of like finding a meteorite in your back yard. It is thought that less than twenty 7” un-restored Megalodon Teeth are known to exist.
Millions of years ago a giant shark called the Carcharocles Megalodon swam the oceans. This shark grew to over 60 feet in length and had a mass of more than 50 tons. Compare that to the shark from the movie "JAWS" which would have been about 20 feet in length and had a mass of around 2 tons. It is mind boggling to imagine something that much larger than the most feared predator in the oceans today.
Scientists believe that the Megalodon shark evolved into existence around 20 Million years ago and became extinct two million to three million years ago. During this time, much of the east coast of the United States was underwater and still part of the Atlantic Ocean. The reason that they went away is somewhat of a mystery, but it is thought to be a result of climate changes or the scarcity of the giant sperm whale, which was their main food source.
A shark is composed mostly of cartilage that does not fossilize, so today, the only proof that we have that the Megalodon ever existed is their fossilized teeth. A picture of one of these teeth is shown below alongside a modern Great White tooth. These teeth are found in many areas of the world, but most of them come from coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Many are found in mines and pits that have been dug for various reasons. SCUBA divers diving in tidal rivers find the overwhelming majority of these teeth.
Megalodon teeth come in many different colors and average between 3”-5” in length. 5.5”-6” teeth are pretty rare, and 6”+ teeth are very sought after by collectors and extremely hard to find. A few lucky divers have found a 7” tooth, but that is kind of like finding a meteorite in your back yard. It is thought that less than twenty 7” un-restored Megalodon Teeth are known to exist.
HOW DIFFERENT
FOSSIL GREAT WHITE and MEGALODON SHARK TOOTH NECKLACES
The fossil great white looks identical to the modern great white, but it averages 3 million years in age, teeth 1-3" in length (found in South Carolina, Pee Dee river banks). The Megalodon dates to 25 million years ago and was 40-100 feet in length, their teeth average 2 to 7" in length (found offshore in Venice, Florida). Here is the difference between the teeth of the Extinct Mako, its descendent the fossil great white, and the unrelated Megalodon shark:Some are collector's grade teeth, others are gnarly, rugged teeth with plenty of character, priced accordingly.Unless described otherwise, all teeth are gold wired as pendants. You can request sterling silver wiring ($3.00 for re-wiring), and choose a necklace from the above assortment of suede, cord, bone or chain necklace choices (see above for prices). A black 20" suede necklace is included in any wired tooth. If you wish a different necklace, just pay the difference.
