Abundance of Fossilized Megalodon Teeth Washing Ashore in North Carolina
The shores of North Carolina are known for having Megaladon teeth, but they are currently experiencing a bumper crop.
Beachcombers in North Carolina are finding much more than just seashells recently because there has been an influx of fossilized Megaladon teeth washing up on the beaches and it has paleontologists excited.
Megaladon Ruled the Ancient Sea
Just for few moments, imagine a city bus, now imagine that bus with teeth. Scientists say this was the size of Megalodon and it ruled the oceans during the Miocene-Pliocene years, which were 15 to 5 million years ago. Researchers believe it was the largest and fiercest predator in the ocean until about 2.6 million years …show more content…
This makes these current finds especially exciting to paleontologists as it gives them more to work with in their research into the ancient sea creature.
Size of Megaladon Based on Great White
Research published in 2013 from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and co-authored by Catalina Pimiento of the University of Florida, compared the growth and size of the Megalodon to that of current day Great White sharks. The research estimates that each inch of tooth size equals about 10-feet in length of the animal. That means that a 2-inch tooth from a Great White (may not seem big, but just get out your ruler), would be a shark 20-feet in length.
This puts the 6-inch fossilized Megalodon teeth in the mouth of a shark 60-feet in length. Based on other comparisons, researchers also believe that the Megalodon had a jaw strength three times greater than that of the land going super predator T. Rex. The T. Rex bite strength is estimated to be 12,800 pounds, or about 1 pound of force per each pound of body weight.
Denny Blend, who found the huge 6-inch fossilized tooth on the beach at Surf City, North Carolina, is donating it to the nearby Aurora Fossil Museum to add to their collection of fossilized Megalodon
The shores of North Carolina are known for having Megaladon teeth, but they are currently experiencing a bumper crop.
Beachcombers in North Carolina are finding much more than just seashells recently because there has been an influx of fossilized Megaladon teeth washing up on the beaches and it has paleontologists excited.
Megaladon Ruled the Ancient Sea
Just for few moments, imagine a city bus, now imagine that bus with teeth. Scientists say this was the size of Megalodon and it ruled the oceans during the Miocene-Pliocene years, which were 15 to 5 million years ago. Researchers believe it was the largest and fiercest predator in the ocean until about 2.6 million years …show more content…
This makes these current finds especially exciting to paleontologists as it gives them more to work with in their research into the ancient sea creature.
Size of Megaladon Based on Great White
Research published in 2013 from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and co-authored by Catalina Pimiento of the University of Florida, compared the growth and size of the Megalodon to that of current day Great White sharks. The research estimates that each inch of tooth size equals about 10-feet in length of the animal. That means that a 2-inch tooth from a Great White (may not seem big, but just get out your ruler), would be a shark 20-feet in length.
This puts the 6-inch fossilized Megalodon teeth in the mouth of a shark 60-feet in length. Based on other comparisons, researchers also believe that the Megalodon had a jaw strength three times greater than that of the land going super predator T. Rex. The T. Rex bite strength is estimated to be 12,800 pounds, or about 1 pound of force per each pound of body weight.
Denny Blend, who found the huge 6-inch fossilized tooth on the beach at Surf City, North Carolina, is donating it to the nearby Aurora Fossil Museum to add to their collection of fossilized Megalodon