Natural History

Natural History

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 21. The Tooth of a Megalodon.

The Tooth of a Megalodon

Lot Closed

December 3, 07:21 PM GMT

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

The Tooth of a Megalodon 

Megaselachus megalodon

Early Pliocene (approx. 5 million years ago)

Georgia, United States


5 by 4 inches (12.5 x 9.5 cm).


This tooth features intact serrations, a lustrous black bourlette, a gunmetal gray root with hints of tan, and an enamel with hints of gray, green, and blue. Posterior side shows minor enamel damage.

Megaselachus megalodon (formerly known as Carcharodon megalodon) was a giant prehistoric shark which roamed the open seas, armed with giant, serrated, razor-sharp teeth. The largest predatory shark to have ever lived, Megalodon was up to three times the size of its closest living relative, the modern great white shark. Because estimates are based solely on teeth and fragmentary vertebral remains, upper size limits of this apex carnivore range from 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 meters) in length, with estimated weights ranging between 20 and 60 tons.


Regardless of exact bodily dimensions, Megalodon ranks amongst the largest predators to ever grace the face of the Earth. With a name meaning "big tooth" and a bite force more than double that of a T. rex, it's no wonder that Megalodon is considered the greatest predatory fish of all time.